


The enigma of the forest

by Nuredhel



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms
Genre: Abuse, Bi Sexual Character, F/M, M/M, Madness, Memories, Multi, Murder, Nimloth is brave, PTSD, Poly amory, Reborn characters - Freeform, Slash, Thingol is crazy, some smut, systematic psycological abuse, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 06:26:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16907835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuredhel/pseuds/Nuredhel
Summary: Dior Eluchil and his family has been reborn in Aman but the promised land isnt what it was supposed to be. His grandfather is also back and wants things to return to the ways of old and Dior is in his eyes to blame for the fall of Menegroth. And more so, he has a secret which makes him very vulnerable to his grandfather's poisonous attitudes. When he meets a person he never believed that he would see again things do change, is there hope even for the son of Luthien? Can he ever break free from the memories of the past, and the iron hand of his grandfather?





	1. Run run away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rogercat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rogercat/gifts).



> This is a birthday gift for Rogercat and is my take on her story secret of the woods. We sort of agreed upon each telling the same story but in our own manner. Happy birthday, i hope you will enjoy this :)

The enigma of the forest

The small house was rather quiet this evening, the sun was low and setting and the birds had started to flock together for the night. The elven woman who stood in the garden gathering vegetables did straighten her back and lifted a basket with some roots and leaves. She had to prepare for the next day, with two growing sons and a husband food was something which was needed constantly. The small gathering of buildings was placed to the east of Tirion, it was a sindar village and not too far away from where the reborn king of the sindar, Elu Thingol had been allowed to reside and gather his court once more. 

Elu Thingol had been reborn quite a while ago and he had even reunited with his maia wife Melian. To him it was as if time had stood still, he insisted on rebuilding his lost palace of Menegroth and the valar did allow this, but they did give him some restrictions. He and Melian were not to produce more offspring, one half maia had been one too many and the valar knew that he was likely to become as megalomaniac as before and demand yet another bride price if he was to father more daughters. The whole Beren and Luthien mess had been tragic and to this day the valar didn’t quite understand what had driven him to demand a silmaril for his daughters hand, he should have seen that it would lead to disaster. 

The elleth did bring the basket inside, she did enjoy this simple life and didn’t want to spend any time at court, she saw it for what it was, a false place filled with powerhungry shallow souls which only sought to increase their own influence. She had been a part of that court once and had hoped that the years and rebirth had changed the circumstances but unfortunately it hadn’t. Things were the same. if not worse. The two lads were busy drawing something, they had been re-embodied at the same age they were when they died and fortunately they had been so young they had overcome it all rather well. There were few memories left of their old life and they didn’t at all remember their deaths. She was very grateful. She did remember her own end but she had found some peace and solace knowing that her sons and husband now were among the eldar fully. They had all been given that choice and they had chosen the life of the firstborn. 

Nimloth was herself of a good family, she was related to Elu Thingol through his brother Elmo and also to Celeborn and the royals of what had been Mirkwood, if she had wanted to be a princess she could have been one but she preferred to be just a wife and a mother. Her daughter had become estranged from them though, she had been an adult woman with her own life when Nimloth saw her again and also, a very troubled soul. The goddamn gem had twisted her mind and turned her into something Nimloth couldn’t comprehend. It made her wonder if the silmarilli could be to blame for the fact that everybody back in those days had been more or less mad. 

She was waiting for her husband to return from court, he had to be there but he hated it and she hated it too. Dior was the heir of Thingol and ought to be a person who was revered and honoured but the opposite was the truth. He was being treated as filth by his grandfather and since he was acting that way everybody else did the same, to make sure that they did stay in the king’s favour. Nimloth had no hard evidence but she suspected that Thingol had chosen Dior as a scapegoat, as a means to get rid of all the frustration he felt. Her husband had returned home bearing the visible signs of beatings several times and even if Thingol tried to avoid leaving bruises on the face he did lose his temper to such a degree that he did punch his grandson in the face on several occasions. 

To Nimloth it was an enigma why Thingol did act this way, the obvious hatred and blame he put on his only grandchild and the impossible demands which were sort of tossed onto him. There had to be something utterly wrong with the ellon and yet he was allowed to continue this mistreatment of his own kin. She knew that Thingol blamed Dior for everything which had gone wrong, including the kinslaying and the fall of Menegroth and she feared for her husband’s sanity. He had come from the halls still bearing painful memories and his grandfather hadn’t done anything to make things better. Far from it. 

She prepared some food and when the twins heard their father opening the garden gate they flew up and greeted him with obvious joy, Dior did smile and ruffle their hair but he was tired and the shadow which seemed to dwell within his gaze was even deeper than before. She didn’t say anything, the twins knew that Thingol was treating their father like crap and they hadn’t even met him at all. Nimloth refused to take her sons to see their great grandfather and Dior did support that decision. With Thingol’s madness nobody knew what would happen, he could perhaps demand that the lads stayed there and Nimloth would rather die than risk her sons safety. 

Dior did sit down, his long dark hair did look dishevelled and he did cringe when he moved, she knew too darn well what had happened. There was hopelessness in his expression and she sat down and took his hand. “My light, this cannot continue” 

He sighed, covering his face with his hands, shivering slightly. “I know, but he…nothing I ever do is enough, nor is it right. “ 

Nimloth did take his hands gently. “I know sweetheart, I cannot comprehend why your grandmother doesn’t intervene? She of all souls should see what he is doing” 

He closed his eyes. “She is too proud, if she does something it means that she has to accept the situation and she does prefer to be ignorant. If she can claim to know nothing nobody can accuse her of having failed. She doesn’t want to acknowledge the fact that her husband has turned into a madman” 

Nimloth did sigh and the two lads did wait for her to fill their bowls with stew. They knew that their father was sad and hurting and that they weren’t to bother him with questions. After they did eat Nimloth did usher them off to bed and sat down next to Dior again. He was finishing his meal and his expression was distant and haunted. He had been so young when he died and now, re-embodied as a full elf he was still as beautiful as he had once been but he looked rather like somebody who had been tortured for a long time, mentally if not physically. She had seen the sort of behaviour before, or at least heard of it. Nightmares, odd outbursts, peculiar habits and moodswings. They said that the oldest son of Feanor had been acting thus after his rescue and there were countless other examples as well. The mind couldn’t escape the horrors it had been through and in Dior’s case, still were facing each day. She embraced him. “So, what was it today?” 

He did shudder against her, hid his face in her long silvery golden hair. “The usual, how I failed to protect Doriath, how I was weak and still am, how flawed I am compared with him” 

She did hesitate for a second. “Did he hit you?” 

He did hang his head. “Of course, used his cane this time” 

He got up and pulled up his tunic, there were dark marks over the lower parts of his back and Nimloth did hiss and shake her head. Such abuse was unheard of among elves, and she wished she knew how the valar allowed it. They had to know? Being full elves Dior and his sons did heal like an elf but they did still have some odd quirks left from their previous life as half elven. They could get sick although nothing serious and she had often worried for her husband’s health. This constant stress was gnawing at his fëa like a beaver gnaws at a tree and she knew it couldn’t last. At this rate he would end up back at the halls of Namo sooner rather than later and probably refuse to be returned to life. And then Thingol would descend upon her lads like a hungry hawk upon a vole and she would never let that happen, ever! 

She knew that there was another reason for Thingol’s mistreatment of his grandson, yet another so called flaw which he tried to erase. She had known from the moment they met and she accepted it fully, her upbringing among the forest elves had left her open minded and understanding but the elves of old Doriath, oh their hypocrisy and false piousness made her retch. Dior was attracted to both females and males and Thingol saw that as yet another example of how tainted his mortal blood was. It shouldn’t matter anymore but somehow it still did and Nimloth did suspect that Thingol had crossed some very strict lines a few times in order to “fix” his grandson.   
The refusal to mention anything regarding this and his obvious shame did speak more than words. Nimloth did wish she could speak to Namo and convince him to take Thingol back for a few centuries, for additional healing or something like that but the truth was most likely that the doomsman had been so fed up with the ellon he let him go just to get rid of him. There was probably just so much even Namo could handle and Nimloth had heard rumours. They said that Thingol had been the worst fëa the doomsman had ever encountered, Fëanor himself had been meek and humble in comparison. 

Nimloth did prepare the house for the night, the fact that they did have this home and could live there instead of at the court was a blessing, she wanted to shield the boys from the constant battle life there was. Here they could grow up to be decent Ellyn, with their own ideas and their own opinions and the freedom to be who they wanted to be. Dior was still sitting by the table, deep in though and she went over and ran a hand through his hair. His human blood had made him a bit more stocky than the average male elf, wider across the shoulders and perhaps more masculine looking. Many did find this attractive but he was shy and covered his face most of the time. The reason was yet another example of his so called flaws, he had been born with one blind eye, on the left side. It had been white from the very beginning of his life and it still was. Because of this he kept his hair very long on that side and arranged it so it would cover up that eye most of the time. Nobody knew why he had one blind eye, it could have been something which had gone wrong when he was in the womb but to Thingol it was yet another example of the shame his daughter had brought upon him by marrying a mere mortal. If Thingol hadn’t been a racist before he had most certainly become one after he was reborn and some said that the madness of the goddamn gem was haunting him still and turning everything in the ellon which was supposed to be good and righteous into the exact opposite. He was paranoid and sly and even his own courtiers did fear him for he was unpredictable and would turn on you within the blink of an eye if you said one wrong word. 

She kissed the top of her husband’s head. “Dear, come to bed please? It is getting late” 

He nodded and got up and they entered the bedroom, it wasn’t large but cosy and intimate and she helped him get undressed. He was in good shape, he tried to keep fit and strong and that was visible. She couldn’t help but thinking of how things could have been if he hadn’t been the heir of that excuse for a king. They laid down and pulled the covers up over themselves and Nimloth did embrace him and held him tight. He did tense up at first, then he did relax and she felt his warmth and wished yet again that things had been different. He did breathe slowly and steadily and she felt that the physical contact did awaken her needs but she didn’t act upon them, he wouldn’t be able to do anything tonight, she already knew that. He never did when he had visited court, it was as if the visits robbed him of everything, even his ability to perform in bed. He was never very eager and she had to be the one to instigate things but he did try to please her as best as he could and she would have been very happy with that if it hadn’t been for the reason behind it. His complete lack of self-confidence was created by his grandfather, or else they could call her a cow. 

Something had happened to him which had caused him to have huge problems when it came to that part of their married life and she wished she knew what it was. He wasn’t without desire, she knew that, but he didn’t dare to unleash it, didn’t dare to really feel and accept his own lust and more so, he had confessed that he was afraid of hurting her. That told her that he did have needs but also that he had some problems accepting them. They did fall asleep, Nimloth was tired from a long day tending to the house and garden but she didn’t want it any other way and Dior was mentally exhausted from having to deal with the crap his grandfather came up with each time he did visit.

It was almost morning when Nimloth woke up abruptly, her husband was trashing around in his sleep, gasping and wailing and he was covered with sweat and clawing at the sheets. She knew this too darn well, he was reliving the last moments of his previous life and she had already seen those nightmares through their marriage bond several times. He had tried to protect them all and when the Fëanorians had rushed into the throne room he had been the one to face them. The guards had cut down two easily enough but Celegorm had been something else, he had been something which reminded more of an orc than an elf there and then. The feral side of the hunter was so very apparent and he had been fighting with a sort of wild glee nobody would have anticipated to see within an elf. Celegorm had worn his nickname with pride that day for he was indeed fair to look at, a lion on the battlefield, golden and red and both terrible and beautiful.   
Dior had been a good fighter, he had been trained well and oddly enough he did hold his own against the Fëanorion fighter. Celegorm had blood on his hands, he had killed countless times and he didn’t hesitate and yet there had been something about Dior which had caused him to hesitate enough to be vulnerable for just a split second, a second Dior made use of. The two had been like negatives of each other, black and white, gold and red and their fight a dance of swords and death. Celegorm had gone down, a fatal wound had been his end but he did manage to stab Dior first, and the two had in fact killed each other. Dior had later described Celegorm as something which reminded him of a dragon, mindless ruthless bloodthirst mingled with a sort of awe inspiring beauty and might. Celegorm had been a force of nature that day, like an avalanche or a rouge wave rising out of the ocean. Dior had been quite taken by that power and yet he had killed the golden one, and died afterwards. Nimloth had understood his emotions, he had felt pity back then, a sort of pity reserved for those who are led astray and fail to see the errors of their ways. It was tragic and yet there was an odd type of beauty within also the fate of these oath sworn sons of a brilliant and yet tormented mind. They had known it would doom them all and yet they had followed the oath, blindly if not without thought. 

She did shake him and he woke up with a wail, his eye wild and his face contorted with fear and sorrow and Nimloth did stare at him and shook her head. Her poor suffering husband, her heart was weeping for him and he grasped onto her and held her desperately, as if he was drowning and she was a life raft. She was used to it, caressed his face gently and slowly he did relax and his breathing became calmer. She did kiss his brow and felt how despair did threaten to overwhelm her. She had to be strong, for the sake of her children and Dior, they all relied on her and there and then she did make a decision. She clenched her teeth together and stared at the wall, her eyes flint hard and her chin shot forwards. She was no less stubborn than others of her kin and she would fight for her husband and family like a lioness. As he slowly went back to sleep she stayed awake, making plans in her head. 

The next morning she did get up early and she was making preparations, her movements swift and her mind set. She didn’t want her husband to suffer again, there had to be a way out of this misery and the first part of that would be to remove them all from the clutches of that sorry excuse for a ruler. Dior did frown when he saw her packing their things. “Beloved?!”

Nimloth didn’t even look at him. “We are leaving, and that is it, no arguments this time. We cannot stay here, Thingol is gonna be the death of you and then he will claim the boys and ruin also their lives. We are going to the woods of Oromë.” 

Dior did gape and then he did shut his mouth, when she had that look in her eyes there was nobody who could make her change her mind. The boys did react with joy, they were still so young that an unexpected journey would be welcome and she told them to pack their favourite toys. They didn’t have much but the things they did have were that more precious and she didn’t want to cause them grief. She went over to the neighbour, a very gentle elf she did trust and he did agree to look after the garden and harvest the crops for his own family. She did also borrow a mule from him to carry their things. Dior was in doubt, he didn’t think that this would be accepted, Thingol would most certainly send for them but Nimloth didn’t listen to him. She would leave a note there claiming that the lads had taken ill and needed a change of environment, hinting at going to Alqualonde for the sea air there. Elrond had often visited them and she would also send him a discrete note, he knew of the situation and even though there was little he could do he had often expressed despair on behalf of Dior. 

Unfortunately he wasn’t welcome at Thingol’s court at all since he had noldorin blood as well as sindar. She did sit down and made a note, she paid the local mail deliverer to send it by dove and then she got her sons into their travelling gear and camouflaged them all with long cloaks and thick clothes. Elured and Elurin did resemble them both in some ways but at the same time they did look rather unique. She was way darker than most other sindar elves when it came to complexion and Dior was very pale, the two lads were somewhere between that and their hair had over the years become an odd sort of dark silvery colour which was striking. One day they would both become hauntingly gorgeous Ellyn with the dark complexion and that hair, their eyes were a light greyish blue and she was very proud of them both. She would see them become independent free elves, not thralls of Thingol. He saw people as either things to possess or things to use. 

They headed out onto the road and it was still early so there weren’t that many out there yet. Nimloth did know the area and the paths and they stayed clear of the roads and used the narrow paths which lead over the farmer’s fields and the pastures. Thus they avoided other travellers. Nimloth had hidden her long hair in the hood of her cloak and Dior too had wrapped himself up rather well. The woods of the great huntsman were way to the south, it would take them a long time to get there but it would be worth it, she smiled a bit. Thingol would be so frustrated when his grandson wasn’t there to receive all his gall and spite, but he deserved it, by Eru how he did deserve it.


	2. The golden one of the woods

The forests of Oromë had always been like a world within a world, a place set apart from the rest of Aman and its inhabitants so very different from those who dwelled in the cities and villages further north. Here you would find those who had refused to leave middle earth, re-embodied avarin elves and silvan elves, some sindar and also a few noldor who had “gone feral” whilst in the old world. Here the rules were thrown aside and the life one of freedom and also the ancient rhythms of the land itself. The great hunter had allowed everybody there to return to the traditions of the very first elves and their way of life and it was good like that. Here you found no towering buildings, no roads paved with marble. There were no court robes or shiny gems, just elves and maiar the way they had been created by the one. 

The tribes had separated areas to live in but that didn’t mean that they were in any way restricted to stay there, people were trading and mingling and it was a very vibrant society and one where many threw off the chains of their old lives and found themselves in a new way. The elves here lived simple lives, and they lived off the land but that didn’t mean that they were primitive, they just lived at a different pace and with different goals. This evening there had been a hunt and the great hunter himself had gathered some of his best hunters around him and they had taken what they needed and nothing more. It was the rule there, and nobody broke it unless they wanted to face the wrath of the great vala. Afterwards the meat had been distributed and then there was a feast and it had been a wild one. The elves of Tirion or any of the other cities there would have been so shocked if they had seen the things which were going on during these gatherings but nobody there felt any shame. Oromë himself claimed that many of the rules the elves tried to live by were made by overly zealous vanyar and not something Eru would have wanted at all. 

This night the hunter was resting in one of the huts with some of his followers, he did keep a small group of favourites close by and he had a reputation for favouring both beauty and strength. Being a part of this group was a great honour and right now he was caressing the back of one of his favourites, or rather, a protégé. The re-embodied elf who slumbered sweetly next to him was none less than one of the infamous sons of Fëanor, a kinslayer and oathbound and there had been some outrage when they started to return from the halls. Many feared that they would return to their murderous habits but the truth was that they all had been cleansed of that madness and since few would trust them they had all been placed apart, in the care and under the supervision of different valar. 

Celegorm was beyond doubt one of those who risked facing the wrath of others if he did show up at Tirion and he had once been an apprentice of the vala so Oromë had actually asked for Celegorm and Namo hadn’t protested at all. After all, Oromë had taken a liking to the silvery haired noldo when he was rather young and they had been very close back then. Although not as close as now, Oromë wasn’t very picky when it came to who he bedded but Celegorm was among his favourite lovers and he had taught the elf quite a lot. Also, he had realized that some of the things Celegorm did back in his first life hadn’t been the result of malice nor wickedness but a sense of not being good enough. 

After all, of all the brothers he was the one who did resemble the rest of the family the least and he had never been able to compete with his brothers when it came to ingenuity and skills. He was a klutz in the forge, he couldn’t sing to save his life and he wasn’t much of a leader since he always expected people to do things correctly without having been given any instructions nor orders and then got royally pissed off when nothing then happened. In short he was nothing like the rest of them and Oromë had perhaps felt some sort of pity for the beautiful ellon. Here on the other hand he did thrive and he had become like a new person, the dark clouds which had rested over him had gone and he was known for being both cheerful and generous. 

Oromë did also recognize something else in the young noldo, he was way closer to the first elves to awaken than anybody else could have guessed, there was something untamed about him, something primeval and almost animalistic and the vala had found this to be very intriguing. He was very glad Celegorm never got caught by the enemy, he would have been too easy to corrupt into an orc and he would have become a horrifying one too, the fierceness in him was simply too strong. So Oromë had taught him compassion and understanding and more so, patience. 

Now the elf was fast asleep after a hefty round of love making, he was always very submissive when with the vala and accepted just about anything and Oromë enjoyed this but did never try to make feel his partner feel inferior or push him into something. Oromë would never do what their fallen brother had, force people into becoming something they were not and he did sigh and let a hand slide through the long silvery locks. They had a small problem now, a dilemma. He wished that he knew how to deal with this, but he really had no idea. Celegorm would find out, sooner or later and Oromë did make a grimace, it could get nasty or it could transform his protégé and bring him even further away from the person he had once been.   
The vala hoped for the last option, it was Celegorm’s chance at showing how reformed he had become and perhaps also lose some of the demons of the past. The vala knew of Celegorm’s nightmares, of the things Namo hadn’t been able to flush from his Fëa and this could perhaps heal him once and for all. Yes, there was just one thing to do, sometimes the best way to deal with something is to face it head on and Oromë did grin, it was a grin which showed that he did feel conflicted about this but also, it did show his determination. 

Celegorm did wake up close to sunrise and Oromë did kiss him gently and gathered the elf up into his arms, nuzzling his neck gently. “My friend, there is a small favour I would like it ask from you” 

Celegorm did turn his head around and stared at the great hunter with a trusting gaze nobody would have expected just an age ago. “Yes master? I will do it” 

Oromê did laugh. “Easy there, do not agree until you have heard about the nature of the mission.” 

Celegorm just smiled and Oromë caressed the slender and yet toned body. Celegorm was a hunter and a warrior and it was visible too, he did take good care of himself and since he joined the group he had gotten some tattoos as well. That did set him apart from most other noldor and Oromë knew that the young one now had found a sort of pride in the fact that he was different, before he had felt ashamed but now he had embraced it and it had become his new strength. “There is a family living to the east of here, they arrived in my forest just weeks ago and I would like for you to keep an eye on them, just in case. There is some…delicate matters involved and I fear that they may be the target of…ill intent” 

Celegorm frowned. “What? Really? How come?” 

Oromë just sighed. “Let’s just say that family isn’t always a safe haven? Will you do it?” 

Celegorm nodded, his eyes did betray his curiosity and Oromë felt like a bastard for withholding such vital information. But he did know that the small family needed protection, he had eyes and ears everywhere and the disappearance of a certain prince had stirred quite an uproar at the court of Thingol. Rumours said that the old king was fuming with rage and Oromë didn’t want his woods invaded by that one’s troops. Not that they could do any harm, nothing happened here which Oromë didn’t approve of, but one could never be too safe and besides, he had never liked Thingol at all. 

He had naturally enough met him during the long march when he still was Elwë and of the brothers he had favoured Elmo. He had never understood why that group of elves had chosen Elwë as their leader in the first place. Ingwê had been full of faith from the first moment, Finwë had been intelligent and cunning and he had quite a lot of charisma, Olwë was kind and wise and that of course meant a lot but Thingol had been just…arrogant! Alright, he had been grand to look at and he did act with majestic flair but that didn’t automatically make you a good king. 

Oromë had to hide a small smirk, that Elwë did wander off and hook up with that maia had been unexpected but it hadn’t done the job any easier on Oromë or the other valar and he did still blame the king for some of the extra work. And also, Elwë had been so condescending when it came to those who refused to leave their home so Oromë had little or none goodwill left for that sinda. Praise goodness that his relatives Oropher and Thranduil had chosen to dwell as far away from their ancestor as possible and built their own courts, which included mostly silvan and avarin elves. Those two he did like, had Thingol only been a wee bit more like them. In all of the ages which had gone past since the death of Thingol and the fall of Menegroth most of the elves had changed a lot and adapted well to a new life in Aman. They had cast the old grudges aside and looked forwards to a new life but Thingol had acted like a spoiled toddler. He refused to realize that things had changed, that attitudes and knowledge had become very different. 

Celegorm did look eager and Oromë was in fact rather proud of him, he had done so well since his re-embodiment and he just hoped that the elf would be able to handle also this. After all, facing your own killer isn’t something you do every day. He had seen the last moments of Celegorm through his mind and knew that the princes had killed each other. Perhaps this would lead to greater healing for them both, he could only hope so. 

The vala did pet Celegorm on the shoulder. “They live by the river, I suggest you stay hidden, they don’t need to know that they are being watched but if you get seen don’t try to deny that I have ordered you to look after them” 

Celegorm did nod again, he was always happy to have something to do and Oromë did yet again wonder about the differences between him and his brethren. The silvery hair came from Miriel for sure but the temper and personality was something Oromë had only encountered within those who had awakened by the shores of Cuivienen, he did at times wonder if Celegorm in fact was someone who had died back then and been reborn without any memories left. That could explain a lot about the elf, including the ferocity which had been so feared back in the first age. 

Later that day Celegorm did leave the camp and he did bring his hound with him. Huan had been exposed as a maia when Celegorm was re-embodied but he had chosen to stay in the same shape as before and was still loyal to Oromë and also Celegorm. The great hound was a good helper and Celegorm was very glad he still had the friendship of the shapeshifter Maia. The area where the family lived was a very isolated one within a narrow valley and Celegorm had already guessed that they were trying to hide, but from who and why?   
The valley had plenty of fish and game and there was a small cabin there which the family had been allowed to use, Celegorm knew of it and he was heading in that direction now, it had to be serious since he was being sent and he didn’t want to risk anything, if his master did think that these elves did need protection then be it. He would do his best.   
\---------------  
Dior and Nimloth had managed to settle down rather well, the forest was vast and lovely and they felt very safe there. It was not very likely that any enemies could enter unchecked and Dior had sort of relaxed a bit over the last days. He spent the time teaching the boys about hunting and fishing and Nimloth couldn’t help but thinking about their first years together. She had been the only one to regard Dior as an adult person and she had respected him in a way none of the others did. Since his father was a human being Dior had grown to adulthood way faster than an elf and she knew that many of his problems came from this fact. The elves of Menegroth hadn’t been that used to mortals after all and the speed with which humans developed had caught them all by surprise. 

Nimloth hadn’t been surprised nor had she been disgusted by his parentage. She had spoken to humans before and she did also understand the differences between the first born and the second born, she saw nothing odd about it. Now that Dior had chosen the life of the eldar he was of course less mannish in appearance than before but she had loved him since those days so long ago and she knew she forever would. But his problems were not so easily solved and she knew that fear was at the root of most of them. He had problems accepting the touch of others, the boys were alright, she too but he would wince and back away if anyone else tried to touch him however how innocently.   
And when they were alone there were the problems of a more intimate character. He said he was afraid of hurting her and he would always be rather passive in bed, letting her be in control. Somehow she knew that this wasn’t who he really was, there was something in there which was different but it had never been unleashed and she believed that she had caught a fleeting glimpse of it in a few tense moments when he was close to losing his temper. After all, he was a maia’s grandson and Nimloth did suspect that he had powers, and that he knew of them too, but that he didn’t dare to explore that part of himself at all. 

This evening he was trying to teach Elurin how to pull a bow and Elured was helping her with some washing, they hadn’t brought much with them but they didn’t need much at all. That they were there and together was more than enough. She remembered the reactions she had gotten when she wedded Dior, most of her friends were shocked, some were confused by her choice while others did question her sanity. She knew that few among them if any had managed to see him for who he truly was. He was a unique person and so much more than his parent’s son. The way Thingol and Melian treated him had disgusted her more than once and she had known already then that they had turned the memory of their daughter into something which was entirely false. Luthien had perhaps been the most beautiful maiden out there but her personality hadn’t been what her parents believed it to be. They had been blind to her ambitions, to her stubbornness and her ability to make others bend to her will. Her choice of mate had been an attempt at shocking her father and showing her power and that he did protest against her marrying Beren had perhaps triggered the less than pleasant and well behaved sides of her. 

Dior had his mother’s beauty, nobody could deny that. He was gorgeous and had become even more so now after his re-embodiment but there was some of Beren in him still and she hoped that the courage of Beren was the thing Dior had inherited most off. Sooner or later Thingol would try to get them back and she didn’t want to think about it at all. 

She got the clothes hung out to dry and then she sat down to peel some apples for a pie, Elured did join his father and brother and Nimloth did look at them with love and pride. She was very proud of her sons and loved them with all of her heart, the one thing she did have problems with was their daughter. Elwing had become someone they didn’t even know and it hurt Nimloth but she had decided not to contact her daughter unless Elwing did reach out to them. The silmaril had clearly damaged her mind and Nimloth wondered how a mother could just leave her children the way Elwing had. What jewel could possibly be that valuable? 

Dior sent Elured and his brother off to find some firewood and Nimloth smiled at him, the day was warm and the forest was very quiet so they could hear it if the boys got into trouble. Nimloth could still remember that one evening when the two lads had tried to catch a piglet which had escaped from their neighbours pen and had entered the house after the chase covered with pit dung and mud. The stench had been unbelievable but the lads had been so very proud of themselves since they had managed to catch the animal.   
Dior did sit down next to her and pulled his tunic off, it was wet over the shoulders and back and he did sigh and smiled. “They are learning so fast, I didn’t learn this fast when I was that age” 

Nimloth did lean over and kissed his cheek, he blushed slightly and let his hair fall forth as he usually did when he felt a bit uncertain about something. He had always worn his hair in a peculiar style with very long bangs on the left side and the hair covered his blind left eye. Nimloth knew that it was one of the reasons why he had such low self-esteem and some had been talking behind his back and claimed that it was a sign of his marred background. Nimloth knew better, the blindness was something he was born with and she suspected that it was a side effect of the things Luthien had been through. 

The boys were roaming the woods searching for dead branches and wouldn’t return for a while so she got up and sat down again on his lap. He did appreciate it when she did take the lead and instigated some fun, he didn’t dare to and she of course knew that he had problems dealing with his own sexuality. If there only had been something she could have done to help him. He did have passion, in fact lots of it but it did usually end at heated kisses and some groping, he didn’t dare to go further so that was her job. She was leaning forwards and started kissing his neck with slow and steady movements, heading towards his wide shoulders. Dior hissed and laid his head to the side to give her room and she giggled and felt him reacting to the touch. It wasn’t always so, sometimes he just didn’t respond no matter what she did and she knew she had to make the most of it while it lasted. 

After years of marriage she knew what he liked and she knew every sensitive spot he had on his body. His nipples were one of them and she gave them her full attention for a while, which was rewarded with a groan. She also knew what to avoid, he still had a scar where Celegorm had stabbed him and the scar wasn’t large nor very visible but he didn’t like that she touched it or even came close to it. So she did avoid it as best as she could and kissed her way down his flat toned belly, opening the drawstring of his pants. She was using her ears for all they were worth, if the lads did return she didn’t want them catching her and their father in action, it would be an awkward explanation for sure. Dior was panting by now and let out a gasp of relief as she got his manhood out of the tight fabric, he already knew what was coming for she loved doing this for him. 

She had been forced to use this method back then since she had gotten pregnant with the twins unplanned, and then Elwing had arrived just a few years later and that hadn’t been planned neither. For some reason it seemed as if his mortal blood had made him more fertile than the normal ellon and it overruled the normal way conception worked with the eldar. Nimloth had not wanted to get pregnant that fast and she had had no wish for three children that close together so she relied on herbs and other manners in which to keep her husband satisfied.   
Dior had closed his eyes and he was shaking all over, already close. He had placed one hand on her head but he didn’t thrust or move at all and she knew that he never would do anything which could hurt her or cause her discomfort. She sensed that he was reaching his climax and she had gotten used to swallowing so she didn’t even flinch. He did bite his lip to stop himself from yelling and she licked him clean and got him back into his pants. Not a moment too soon, they heard that the twins were heading back and Dior did kiss her cheek swiftly. “Thank you my sweetest, I needed that” 

She grinned and was very pleased with herself, he did look a lot more relaxed now. Elured and Elurin came running through the bushes, carrying some firewood and Elured was grinning from one ear to the other. “Ada, ada, know what? There is a litter of fox puppies up by that large oak and they are so cute” 

Dior was glad he already had been sweating, the lads wouldn’t notice anything out of the ordinary.   
\-------------------------------  
Celegorm had found his way to the hut without problems and he had found a nice branch in a tree nearby from where he could keep an eye on the family. What he did see did however make him slightly confused, there was something oddly familiar about the tall dark haired ellon and his fair lady and then there was two identical lads running around with a lot of energy. They looked as if they were a handful. Celegorm couldn’t get any closer without getting seen and he was getting increasingly curious. The ellon appeared to be rather unusual when it came to body shape and he did also act in a manner which reminded Celegorm of an animal which has been chased around for too long and no longer finds any peace. The elf did seem nervous and on edge and Celegorm had guessed that they were sindar. 

The two lads did leave their parents behind and Celegorm raised an eyebrow in light shock when he saw what the wife was up to. She appeared to be a bold one but the passive attitude of the male was somewhat unusual, he didn’t seem to be doing much at all. Celegorm was used to seeing such things happening, it didn’t truly shock him at all but it did deepen the enigma of who these people were. He had to snicker to himself when the two parents did hide the “evidence” so to speak in a hurry. The lads were on the way back and even he could hear them trampling through the undergrowth. 

Celegorm had never settled down with a family of his own, he had always wanted his freedom more than anything else and he just didn’t fit inside of the norm. But of course he had thought about it, children and a loving spouse and there was perhaps a wee hint of jealousy in his mind as he climbed down from the tree. This elf, whoever he was, seemed to have a good life but then again, why was he here and what was the reason why Oromë had asked Celegorm to watch him? 

That evening Dior had to leave the hut for a while, they were out of food and he had to go out to harvest some nuts and fruits and possibly catch some game too. He had brought both his bow and his knife and he didn’t expect to be gone for long. Nimloth was watching the lads and Dior felt rather confident as he ventured out into the vast forest. After some hours he had found both nuts and berries and also some very tasty roots which could be turned into stew, He did also carry a small sack with mushrooms and he felt that he had done a good job of it, he would make sure that his family was fed for the next days. The things they couldn’t get from the forest they could trade for in the nearest village and Dior did whistle a bit as he wandered back towards his new home.   
Already he felt way better than at his grandfather’s court and the headache he had been bothered with almost constantly was more or less gone. He didn’t react at first when it started to rain, the clouds had been dark and low the entire day but there hadn’t been a drop until now. Then things changed fast, from a mild rain it turned into a deluge in just a few short minutes and he knew he had to seek cover. He could hear thunder up in the distance too and swore to himself. He ought to have known that a storm was coming, but if he could just avoid the worst of the rain things would be fine. 

He knew of a cave not far from the hut and he was heading in that direction, if the lightning started to get closer it would be safer there than in the woods with all the tall trees. He did take a swift breath of relief when he saw that cave, he would be safe there. 

Celegorm had been caught by the rainstorm too, he had been hunting a deer and forgot about anything else and now he and Huan did jog towards the cave he already had found on his previous wanderings. He did sigh and threw his cloak aside as he entered and froze when he heard a sound coming from inside of the cave, had some animal sought refuge there? He wasn’t afraid of any living beast, after all, he was well known for his ability to converse with animals but he had just run inside and he was afraid he had startled the thing whatever it was. Then he saw a sort of silhouette and realized that it was an elf. The lightening did flash outside for a second and did light up the entire cave and there and then he did realize that this was the ellon from the family he was to watch over and second, it was a very familiar one too. Celegorm had never forgotten Dior, not only had the king of Doriath killed him but he had seemed almost sad when he did, reluctant. Celegorm had never forgotten that odd situation, the absurdity of it all. 

He and his brothers had descended upon the thousand caves like a horde of warrior ants upon a bowl of sugar, and they had been confident that they would win. They felt that they were in their right to claim the silmaril by force, after all, it did belong to them, but the resistance had been shockingly strong and also well executed. Dior had been renowned for his beauty, they said he was his mother’s mirror image and it was true but Celegorm had seen something else too in the tall armoured ellon. Something Luthien never had possessed, dignity. She had been a flighty and vain person, too concerned about her own will to bother about others and he had never truly understood why he had tried to pursue her. But he now knew that it was within her powers to twist everyone to bow to her demands. Making others love her was just one bit of it, she loved to torment those she enchanted with the fact that they could long for her but never have her. His brother Curufin had once compared her with a bitch in heat and Celegorm had agreed. 

Her son however had been strangely anonymous, they heard so very little about him, even when Thingol was no more and Dior was set to rule the kingdom. Celegorm had been struck by the rare beauty of the ellon but also by his odd manner of fighting. He had guards and they did seem to protect his left side more than the right and then there was that peculiar haircut. Celegorm had wondered about that, even since his one and last encounter with the former king, he had no idea of how the fashion of that court was and it could be some custom the noldor didn’t have but now he realized why Dior had fought the way he had and why he did hide the left side of his face. He had a blind eye. A sense of admiration did push its way forth, Celegorm had fought in many battles, he had no problems killing but he had been felled by an elf who was half blind? That did take some skill and now, as he once more was eye to eye with the sinda he saw that Dior had become no less beautiful after his re-embodiment, he was just a bit more elfin in appearance. 

Dior stared at him, eyes wide open, the black hair plastered to his skin and he appeared to be completely stunned by what he saw. Celegorm knew that he had changed very little if any at all, he was the same person he had been back then and there was no way Dior would mistake him for somebody else. The sinda seemed to be almost paralyzed, then he let out a sort of roar and attacked and Celegorm had to jump out of the way not to be stabbed rather violently. The sinda was baring his teeth and moved with an almost eerie grace but Celegorm was after all a skilled fighter and he did avoid the swift attacks rather easily. “I am not an enemy, listen to me, I have no interest in harming you, I am only seeking shelter” 

The sinda didn’t listen at all, he attacked again and Celegorm did sigh and gave the other ellon a solid punch to the jaw. That made Dior stagger backwards against the wall of the cave and he dropped the blade. Huan burst into the cave and placed himself between them and Celegorm saw that Dior for a few fleeting seconds seemed to have glowing lines underneath his skin. It made Celegorm back away in shock, such lines were the tell tale sign of maiarin powers and he knew he was in trouble if the dark haired one still wanted to fight. But Dior just turned around with a sort of wail and ran out of the cave in what could only be described as panic. Celegorm petted Huan with a thoughtful grimace. “Go, follow him, make sure he makes it back home unscathed.” 

The great hound took off and Celegorm did sit down, he had to think. The former king of Doriath there? Now? And Oromë wanted Celegorm to watch over him? He wasn’t stupid, he knew that the great hunter knew who this family were and he did take a deep breath. Oromë did know him rather well, he had to have seen that Celegorm needed some sort of closure and this was perhaps his chance to redeem himself from the last of his many sins. He had been insane back then, driven by the oath and his own fears and also possibly a last remnant of the power Luthien had used to control him and his brothers for a short while. But he knew better now and he did also realize that the reason why Dior was there was family matters and there could be no other explanation for that than Thingol. Celegorm had heard rumours regarding that elf and if they were true he was pretty darn sure that Dior was hiding from his own grandfather. 

He saw that Dior’s dagger still laid on the ground where he had dropped it, well, the cat was out of the bag. He would have to return it somehow and maybe get to the bottom of the mystery too. He could just hope that the former king wouldn’t lash out again, he had a suspicion that Dior had inherited way more from his mother than just his fair looks. Yes, way more than what met the eye.


	3. Golden and Black

Dior had ran straight back home in a state of panic and shock and he crashed inn through the door, soaking wet and panting. Nimloth had been seated by the fireplace and jumped to her feet when she saw the state her husband was inn. She ran to him and got him out of the wet clothes and found something he could use to dry his hair and she did notice that he was shivering rather badly and also that he was terribly cold to the touch. It couldn’t be just the rain which had caused that, there had to be something more. She found a kettle and filled it with water, put it over the fire and prepared to make some tea and some hot porridge, he did look as if he needed it. 

Dior wasn’t speaking, he was just staring at the fire with a distant expression within his seeing eye and she knew that something had triggered him badly. She had seen him like this before, once when Thingol had been ranting about how Dior had basically lost Menegroth to the Feanirions and another time when both the twins had fallen ill, straight after their re-embodiment. She waited to the water boiled, made the tea and then she made him drink a whole cup. When he was done she took his hand. “What was it my dearest?!” 

Dior did take a deep breath. “I met him, Celegorm. I sought out a cave for cover against the storm and suddenly he entered it, I…I tried to fight him “ 

There was no blood on him, and he didn’t appear to be physically hurt at all. Nimloth had to swallow hard. “And he, did he fight you?” 

Dior shook his head. “No, not at all. He just avoided my strikes and then that huge hound of his got in the way and I ran…I….” 

She held the hand firmly. “We are all changed now Dior, remember that. Yes, he did kill you, but you did also kill him and we have gone through the halls and been cleansed.”

Dior did look down, there was shame on his face. “I know, but…it was instinct I guess, I just reacted.” 

Nimloth did gently remove some wet locks of hair from his face. “That is natural dear, but I doubt that Celegorm would want to harm us now. He too has been repenting his sins and is a new person” 

Dior took a deep breath. “I know, but…why was he there? “ 

Nimloth almost rolled her eyes. “My sweet, remember? We are in the woods of Oromë and he is one of the followers of the great hunter. It is just natural that he is in this area, it is we who are the intruders here” 

Dior did hold the cup forth, as if to ask for a refill. He wasn’t that cold anymore. “I lost my dagger back at the cave. Should I go back and get it?” 

Nimloth did shake her head. “No, absolutely not. You wait until the weather is better and maybe he will bring the dagger back to you” 

Dior made a grimace. “I do not want to meet him again” 

Nimloth sighed and cocked her head. “No? but I think you need to meet him again, you need closure and remember, I am your wife, I know you better than anyone else.” 

Dior swallowed, looking away from her. “Yes” 

She placed a warm blanket over his shoulders. “So, how did he look?” 

Dior shrugged. “Like before, nothing had changed there. He was…” 

Nimloth did finish the sentence. “Like silver and gold, glowing like embers in ash” 

Dior nodded, not looking up. “Yes, just like that” 

She laid an arm around him. “Listen, I know how you felt about him back then,   
before….before it all happened. If things had been different…” 

He did writhe, there was pain on his face. “ Yes, if grandfather hadn’t…” 

She smiled. “Been such a horrible old cur you mean? It could have been possible, the avarin elves didn’t oppose to same gender marriages, it could have changed a lot, in fact it could have changed history” 

Dior sighed and his face was drawn. “Maybe, who knows? Once your path is chosen you cannot go back and chose it anew can you? Besides, I got you and the children, that wouldn’t have happened if …if grandfather had been…less….” 

Nimloth nodded. “Less stubborn and twisted” 

She went over to the fire and got some of the stew into a bowl. “Here, try this. You need food” 

Dior swallowed hard. “Do you really think he will come here?” 

She made a grimace. “Maybe, somehow I feel that this is no coincidence!” 

She watched as he ate, feeling how the love she felt for him filled her heart and made her stronger than ever before. They had all suffered back then, both the good and those history later deemed as wicked and she knew that Dior was among those who had suffered the worst. Not the way most would define sufferings, he hadn’t been captured and tortured and he had after all been a prince but he had never been free. He had always been crushed under the weight of anticipations and demands and his grandfather’s cold demeanour and constant belittling of the ellon had almost broken him, even before Thingol was slain. 

Nimloth had wedded Dior to save him, to free him from at least some of the problems he had to face. Everybody wanted something from him, they all regarded him as weak and flawed and nowhere near good enough. They saw his human heritage and looked down their noses at him and Thingol had been the worst of all in that manner. Nimloth hadn’t known Luthien from before the whole silmarill mess, but she had listened to how people were talking and she had realized a truth few others had been able to see. Luthien had been way more powerful than her mother, in fact she had been more powerful than most valar and Nimloth believed that she knew why. She had grown up among the avarin elves, and they had a connection to the land which was almost eerie. They had told her tales about Nan Elmoth where Melian and Thingol met, and the place was alight with ancient magic, untamed and unknown. Nimloth had a strong suspicion that the daughter of Thingol had been conceived in there, surrounded by this wild force and when she was born it was adding to her powers. She could have killed Morgoth, she had subdued monsters and powerful spirits and this power wasn’t just good. She had been selfish and narrow minded and Nimloth had started to compare her with a lamprey, eating her way into people’s minds, devouring the best part of them, what made them who they truly were. If Beren hadn’t died Nimloth had a strong suspicion that the world one day would have had to suffer the powers of a dark lady instead of a dark lord and her powers would have been so much more sublime but no less horrifying. 

But her parents had been completely enchanted by her, in their eyes Luthien had been an uncorrupted innocence, a maiden who was only good and pure. Beren had been a thorn in their eye and Nimloth did to this very day wonder why Luthien had taken the human as her lover, probably to piss off her father. And their son had been tainted by his heritage, by the fact that Luthien had given up her immortality to be with Beren, that Thingol in the end would lose her. Dior had been the one to bare the blame for it all and his flaws were exaggerated and blown up way out of proportion. She put some more firewood onto the hearth and had to think about the horrible atmosphere at Menegroth. It had been poisonous, filled with a sort of filth like the oily substance you can find on top of stagnant water. Thingol had been filled with wrath when Celeborn, his nephew and Nimloths’s uncle had married Artanis, but he hadn’t protested and he hadn’t directly gone in their way, he had just openly shown his lack of joy by not giving any sort of help to them at all. 

Dior on the other hand had been subjected to a regime Nimloth found it hard to accept, it was very clear that Thingol wanted his daughter back, one way or the other and Dior had told her of the many elven maidens who had tried to sneak themselves into his bed, even after he was wedded. He knew that his grandfather had ordered them too, in the hopes that Luthien could somehow be reborn from such an illicit union. It had been madness and Nimloth had to grin when she thought about Thingol’s reaction when he heard about Dior’s choice of bride. Nimloth wasn’t some meek noble woman, she wasn’t a dumb goose only interested in pretty gowns and luxuries. She was a daughter of the woods and her spirit was free and unbroken, and she wouldn’t bow to no one, not even a king. She knew she was the right one for him, able to accept the fact that he also was attracted to males and Dior had often confessed to her that she was the only female he had ever wanted. All the others were just…not his type. Thingol would have wanted him to marry some dumb little thing who could be manipulated and controlled but Dior had beat his grandfather there and Nimloth was glad the eldar were nowhere near as unstable of heart as the edain, they could choose a new spouse if the first one died but the eldar never did that. Or rather, it had happened once and just look at what that had accomplished.

The twins were fast asleep so she did heat some more water and made sure that they both had a quick wash before bedtime, the hut wasn’t large but it was very nice and there was a sort of extra room upstairs where the boys had their beds. Dior and Nimloth did share one downstairs behind the kitchens and it was if not overly large at least comfortable. Dior did fall asleep rather fast, tired from all the mental turmoil but Nimloth did lay awake for a while. If Celegorm indeed did approach them, how would she face him? She had no doubt that Dior would be nervous and perhaps even a bit aggressive but what about her own feelings? It was Celegorm’s servants who had left her boys in the woods to die, and for a long time she had put the blame on the silvery haired Feanorion. But later on she did realize that it wasn’t his fault, the servants had acted on their own and being a son of Fëanor didn’t make you wicked in itself.   
There was darkness within everyone and only circumstance would determine whether or not it would emerge. She had killed too, during the attack. She had killed several of the followers of the brothers and she held little regret. Perhaps she was a bit too pragmatic but the whole kinslaying thing had been taken out of proportion the way she saw it.   
The deeds of true evil were so much worse and she did blame Thingol for not having sent aid to those who needed it. Much could have been different if only the king of Doriath had agreed to joining in the fight against the enemy, instead the elves had become separated into different factions, weaker and more vulnerable than they would have been if they had united. She was sure that Morgoth had been laughing, and he probably still was. She finally managed to get to sleep but her rest was not what it ought to have been.   
\----------  
In Tirion Elrond was walking down the stairs of one of the palaces with his usual calm and collected expression, he did always look as if he had all the time in the world but today one could perhaps have seen a faint glimpse of worry within his eyes. He did nod towards some elves he did pass by and he didn’t speed up but anybody who truly knew him knew that he was doing his version of a fast race. He did walk up to a rather grand gate and did knock on it, a servant did open and let him inn and he did walk at a brisk pace towards a small plaza in the middle of the building. The tall ellon who was waiting for him there wore a very elaborate robe made from dark green velvet with gold and cobber embroideries and his long hair had been carefully braided. Elrond did smile, a genuine smile which transformed his entire face. “Adar, I am so glad you could see me today” 

Maedhros gave him a swift hug and sat down, Elrond did take a seat right above him, the small table in the middle became very small indeed when surrounded by such tall individuals. “You said something about trouble in your letter?” 

Elrond nodded, his face was a wee bit pale. “Yes, it is my grandfather, he is missing” 

Maedhros did frown. “Missing? Really? How is that possible?” 

Elrond took a long breath of air, he did try to calm himself down. “I have been given a note, they have left their home and said they were going to the coast, for fresh air. The lads had some problems with their airways right after their re-embodiment and back then I recommended sea air to ease their sufferings. But they haven’t been seen by the coast at all”

Maedhros frowned. “The note was a trick?” 

Elrond nodded vigorously. “Yes, I recognized Nimloth’s hand writing and that woman is no idiot. She knew that their disappearance would be noticed. She knows me very well, and must have calculated with me not falling for it” 

Maedhros cocked his head. “So what you are saying is?” 

Elrond had a nervous twitch around his right eye. “They have gone into hiding, probably in the woods. Something must have happened which have forced them to go to such extremes.” 

Maedhros took a deep breath. “Thingol!”

Elrond sent his foster father a rather flaming gaze. “Damn right, he is all over the place, they say he has promised a reward for his grandson or great grandsons. It is ridiculously large, I fear that somebody may be tempted. And he is already accusing your family too, saying your kin has kidnapped Dior” 

Maedhros gaped, then he scoffed. “Dear Eru, is that elf insane?” 

Elrond rolled his eyes. “More so than a headless troll!” 

The tall redhead sighed and made a grimace. “If it only was a person’s natural worry for one’s relative I could have understood it but it isn’t that now is it?” 

Elrond shook his head almost violently. “No, it is possessiveness. In its most nasty incarnation, he feels as if he owns Dior and his family, that he ought to do whatever he wishes to do with them. Oh I have seen how he displays them at feasts, but that is just a façade. He doesn’t see Dior as a person Maedhros, he sees him as a tool! A way to get his daughter back!” 

Maedhros sort of winced. “Ouch, as if anybody would want her returned? She was a manipulative…female. I have no idea why Celegorm tried to coax her into marrying him” 

Elrond frowned. “You haven’t understood that yet? It wasn’t Celegorm at all, it was her, manipulating him! Only that he believed himself to be the one who wanted it. She was like that!”

Maedhros did nod slowly. “You are right, she could have tricked him or anybody really into loving her” 

Elrond made a vague gesture. “When Namo did release Thingol from the halls it was on one condition, the ellon was to be infertile, the valar didn’t want any more half maiar running around spreading havoc. And Melian isn’t fertile either, also a condition of them continuing together. He hates it, he wants Luthien back” 

Maedhros made a grimace. “Yach, not to be nasty, but that sort of love for one’s daughter? It almost sounds….twisted…sick! Like something the edain would be capable of” 

Elrond nodded. “And I bet that Luthien wanted it that way, she wanted everybody to want her, to wish to be with her, to desire her. Even her own bloody father!” 

Maedhros shuddered. “Again, she was despicable. But you are also of Thingol’s blood, he haven’t tried to manipulate you?” 

Elrond sighed deeply and there was sorrow in his face. “No, and for once I am very glad that Arwen did chose as she did. If she had come with me to Aman Thingol would have…I don’t know, caught her and kept her all to himself? She was very like Luthien you know!” 

Maedhros managed to smile- “Only in looks I presume?” 

Elrond nodded. “Yes, praise Eru for that. My daughter was normal, and I know she is safe now with her beloved” 

Maedhros frowned. “But as I said, he haven’t shown any interest in you as a person?” 

Elrond shook his head. “No, I am too tainted to be regarded as anything but filth the way he sees it. Both human blood and noldorin blood too? Never mind that I also have some vanya in me and some maia, that doesn’t count in his eyes” 

Maedhros chuckled. “Yes, but what do you suggest we do?” 

Elrond was leaning forth. “Whatever we can to avoid triggering that bastard, he will demand access to every home in the city, he will search through the properties of every known Feanorion or Feanorion follower known to Eru, and he will most certainly point a finger at your brother” 

Maedhros scoffed and shook his head. “He is truly mad if he thinks that Celegorm has anything to do with this? Yes, they did murder each other back then but both have been cleansed and re-embodied and there shouldn’t be any grudges held anymore”

Elrond sent Maedhros a sort of odd look. “Ah, but that isn’t what Thingol fears, he knows that Dior had a soft spot for Celegorm back in Doriath” 

The redhead did look truly surprised. “He what?!”

Elrond folded his hands in his lap, looked sad. “It is true, he did. Dior is bisexual, attracted to both genders and Thingol did somehow find out. He has tormented the poor ellon ever since and the worst part is that he found out who Dior did fancy too” 

Maedhros did wet his lips. “My brother? But…they hardly even met!”

Elrond nodded. “Once was enough I guess. So we have to do something to prevent a real problem, Thingol won’t stop until he has gotten his claws around Dior again and believe me, that one won’t hesitate using Dior’s children as a tool. A blessing that Elwing is a grown elleth and capable of taking care of herself” 

Maedhros just mumbled “Yes, and living out by the coast. So what do we do?” 

Elrond stared straight at his foster father. “I suggest you send a message for Celegorm, right now! If Dior indeed is in the woods there is a chance they may meet and if Thingol does find out? You can only imagine the mayhem that may unleash” 

Maedhros got up, he did look a bit worried. “Celegorm can take care of himself but I don’t trust Thingol as far as I can throw him. I will send a hawk right away. This has to be dealt with” 

Elrond nodded. He knew that his grandfather had lived a very short and very unhappy life back in Doriath and he had hoped that his new one would become better, unfortunately the valar didn’t see how twisted Thingol had become and how obsessed he was with his lost daughter. It was too bad. Dior had deserved a way better life and Elrond could only hope that maybe destiny would turn around and allow the elf some happiness after all. He would pack his stuff and ride south too, if there was something he could do to help then he would and if the worst did happen, offer his assistance and protection. He had fought many battles, he didn’t mind fighting yet another one, and least of all when it was about the protection of his own family. He had never had the chance to meet his grandfather while he was alive the first time but he wouldn’t waste the chance to aid him now, he had a creeping suspicion that it may be needed, sooner than anybody could guess.


	4. Deeds of the past

Celegorm did not wish to cause anyone problems, he felt hesitant about going to the hut but somehow he knew that he had to. He had to face his past and get it over with, he knew that Oromë wanted this. The day was nice, the storm had passed overhead and the sun was shining, the birds were busy with their business and he felt a bit better as he walked through the woods. Huan was running by his side until the hound caught the scent of a deer and ran off and Celegorm did laugh and allowed him some fun. 

Celegorm tried not to think of the past too often but now he had to, he had tried to repress the memories but they did return now. He and his brothers had been so consumed by the oath that they hadn’t even listened to Maedhros when he tried to still their rage and make them see some common sense. But they hadn’t, they had felt the goddamn jewel calling to them and there had been no way back. Now he did wonder why the thing had such an impact, why it had driven them all insane. He had started to suspect that it did corrupt everyone who wanted it, and that Luthien somehow had something to do with it. He wouldn’t hold it above her to have changed it somehow, he couldn’t remember that the silmarils had been so powerful when his father still had all three of them. 

The hut was placed by a river and he wandered the path towards it slowly, and very openly too. He didn’t want to hide and he did have a legitimate reason for being there after all, he had Dior’s dagger with him and it was a very nice weapon and one the sinda probably didn’t want to lose. The hut was peaceful and he didn’t see anyone until he thought he heard a twig snap and he did turn his head around just in time to see something flying towards him at breakneck speed. He did try to duck but it was too late, he lost his balance and fell with the weight of not one but two lads on top of him and he felt his head hit something hard and then everything went dark. 

The twins stared at the unconscious ellon, they eyes huge and confused and Elured did let out a wail. “Naanaaa, we killed someone!”

Nimloth had been washing clothes by the river and she came running and stopped, staring at the scene. “What in the name of Eru have you been up to?!”

The shock in her voice obvious and the lads did whimper. “We are sorry, we were playing and…we saw this elf and thought it was ada and jumped him…We didn’t see that it was a stranger” 

Nimloth saw that Celegorm had hidden his tell tale hair in a hood and he was not awake, she just hoped that he wasn’t seriously injured. “Have you not learned that jumping down onto people from the trees can be dangerous? And your ada in special since he has bad eyesight. Now, go get Dior, we need to get this one inside!”

Elured and Elurin stared at the unconscious elf. “He is pretty, who is it?” 

Nimloth did bite her lower lip, they had never been told who it was who killed their father, just that it was someone who was deranged and oath driven and she tried to smile. “This is an elf we did know from….before. Please, hurry!”

They ran off and returned with Dior who had been working on some baskets made from reeds and he did gape and stare at Celegorm, Nimloth did kneel beside him. “Dear, our sons are apparently potential kin slayers, do help me carry him inside. He has a huge lump on his head and I think he could have a concussion too” 

Dior hesitated but then he did grasp the blonde elf by the shoulders while Nimloth did take the feet and they carried him inside and laid him on the spare bed. Nimloth did find some ointment and smeared it onto the lump and she shook her head in disbelief. “Coming here has been so good for the boys but at the same time, they are getting more rambunctious by the day.” 

Dior sighed. “Do you want me to scold them?” 

Nimloth did shake her head. “No dear, they do regret it and they won’t make this mistake again. But I was right wasn’t I? He has come!” 

Dior sat down with a sigh. “Yes, and I don’t know why?” 

Nimloth did shrug. “Trust in Eru, I am sure he will reveal his plans to us sooner or later” 

Dior nodded and stared at the fair face he had dreamed off so often. Sometimes in nightmares and sometimes not. So much could have been different back then if …He knew that his mother had been taken and kept by Celegorm and his brother but he did doubt that the official version of it was the truth. Who could possibly have been powerful enough to keep Luthien against her will? Not even Morgoth had managed that and an elf? Even a son of Fëanor? No way, no, he believed that he had seen the truth behind it all and it wasn’t pretty. Luthien had wanted Celegorm , not as a lover perhaps but as a devote, as a pawn. She wanted what was beautiful and exotic and different and the feral and savage side of the hunter was perhaps what had drawn her to him. But he was too wild, too strong to be subdued by her magic and charm and thus she had escaped and chose a new tactic altogether. Dior sighed, Celegorm could have been his father had things been different, he could have been a whole different person. He didn’t really like that idea. 

Nimloth got up, she smiled. “I am sure he will wake up sooner or later, will you sit here? I have to return to the washing and keep an eye on the lads, so they don’t accidentally murder someone completely” 

Dior had to laugh and he nodded, it felt odd sitting there next to the fair headed son of Fëanor but now he had time to truly study the face and nobody could deny that Celegorm was beautiful. Maedhros had been named “well shaped “ by his mother and it was true, Maedhros was beautiful and majestic and he did make people feel awe just with his mere presence. Celegorm was… He had a hard time finding the word, fey? He was not as majestic as the other brothers, he was just as tall as them but he felt different. It was like sitting next to a dangerous animal, not knowing whether or not it would pounce upon you when it wakes up. Dior did see that he was breathing evenly and Nimloth had put a wet cloth on the lump on his head, it did look rather bizarre. 

Dior couldn’t help himself, he had to put words to what he felt. He whispered it only, a confession to feelings which had been deemed illegal and illicit, a sin and an unforgiveable weakness. “I saw you just once you know, before the …fight. At the borders, you and your brothers came to make demands and I remember it even now. You were….radiant, like the sun and the moon and I…I had never seen anyone like you” 

Dior was pretending to be unconscious, just to make things less awkward and this put him on edge, what did the former king mean? Dior swallowed hard. “You were so free, so unrestrained, so proud. They said you were cruel but I saw that you were untamed and by Eru how I longed for that freedom. You were in my dreams from that day on, even the shameful ones” 

Dior did almost move, shameful ones? Oh Eru, the rumours were true then. Some had said that the grandson of Thingol did have a weakness for beautiful males and Celegorm remembered the strange expression on the ellon’s face as they fought. It reminded him of sorrow and longing and now he knew why.

Dior did shift his weight, a hand did hover above the silvery golden hair and Celegorm had to fight to avoid revealing that he was awake. The hand did descend, shyly and slowly, the touch very light and almost undetectable and Celegorm felt an odd mixture of emotions. It was so much, but he did feel regret most of all. So much could have been different…Dior did allow his fingers to run through the silky locks and Celegorm had to struggle not to shudder, the touch was strangely loaded in spite of it being innocent enough, there was so much locked up energy within this elf, so much which had been held under lock and key and Celegorm felt a strange urge to see it all unleashed. 

Dior sighed, he did sound sad, or conflicted. “I…I was thinking of you..a lot… And grandfather…he found out. We had a sort of contest, some of the nobles of the court, a poetry competition. Each would make a short poem and share it with the others and then we would vote about which one was best” 

Celegorm did almost hold his breath, he sort of sensed what was coming. “I made a poem about the sun and the moon, and I guess I was comparing the moon to you” 

Dior did take a deep breath. “Grandfather or someone loyal to him must have heard the poem and understood what it was about… I was…punished” 

The voice was strained, almost shivering and Celegorm was cold, what elf does harm his own family? He found it hard to believe. Dior swallowed hard and the hand laid still, Celegorm could feel that it was trembling. “He…I cannot even describe it…but he was so furious…so terribly so. I was afraid he was gonna kill me in the end” 

Celegorm knew that some of the most pious and backwards Vanyar believed homosexuality to be a sort of disease brought forth by the edain but he knew better, there had been those who favoured their own gender even back at the awakening, it was nothing odd about it at all. But Dior had been made to suffer because he didn’t fit into Thingol’s twisted vision of a perfect realm. It made Celegorm angry, and in an odd way almost hurt. If Thingol indeed did resent anybody who didn’t fit into the norm then he would most certainly fall into that definition for sure and that only increased the anger he felt towards the sinda. 

Dior did lift the hand and Celegorm did almost move, he didn’t want to lose the contact and he did already know what to do, he was sure that it was all in Oromë’s plans. The great hunter had never liked Thingol for some reason. The black haired ellon did get up and Celegorm could hear him whisper. “So much…could have been different” 

Celegorm had to think. Yes, much could have been different. They could have avoided the kinslayings, the realms could have been united and they could have brought down Morgoth way earlier than before. His brothers could have been alive, he could have avoided death too. Among the avarin tribes same gender marriages had been rather usual and he knew that a union between the realms forget by a marriage would have been a solid one, even if that marriage had been arranged. He wouldn’t have been opposed to it, he knew that now. He had bedded both females and males and Dior had been beautiful, nobody would have seen anything odd about it at all. 

The room was quiet and Celegorm could feel that he was alone again, he sighed and had to grin. He had been knocked out by a couple of elflings, he was getting slow! His head did hurt a bit but he had felt way worse and he smiled. If Nimloth was okay with it he would show Dior just what he had been missing and perhaps erase that ghost of days past. He didn’t doubt for even a second that Thingol had messed with Dior’s self-esteem way too many times. The elf was clearly not okay and Celegorm had a wicked glimpse within his eyes, what vengeance could be better than to free Thingol’s grandson of the invisible chains his own grandfather had placed upon him? 

Dior returned to his work at the back of the cabin and Nimloth did return from the river, the lads had been tasked with some light garden work and they did obey, although reluctantly. Celegorm heard the sounds of normal everyday life and he did feel a bout of something which did resemble jealousy, he had never been too fond of domestic bliss but still, this did seem nice on some level. 

When the family gathered to eat Celegorm found that he couldn’t pretend anymore, he let out a groan and opened his eyes and blinked and the two twins did spring into action right away. Both did run to the bed and stared at him with huge and very honest eyes. “We are so very sorry, we didn’t mean to knock you out, can you forgive us?” 

They spoke with one voice and Celegorm remembered his twin brothers and the pranks they did play on everybody until their hair colour did change a bit so Amras got a bit darker than Amrod. “I…” 

He had to sit up, and found that he was indeed a bit dizzy and his body did ache too. Nimloth walked over with a cup of water and he did grasp it and drank greedily. “Thank you my lady, of course I forgive you lads, but never do that again” 

They did look relieved and returned to the table and he did notice that Dior did stare at him with some apprehension. Celegorm did smile, a rather nervous smile. “I can ensure you that I mean you or your family no harm at all. I came to return the dagger” 

Dior nodded and looked down and the atmosphere was tense. The lads did notice and their eyes were large. “What is wrong?” 

Nimloth did smile, a real smile. “Nothing, it is just that…we knew this elf a long time ago and…some bad things did happen back then but we do remember them now and…that makes seeing him a bit…awkward” 

Elured and Elurin looked at each other. “Back when you died?” 

Nimloth nodded. “Yes, exactly that, back when we did die. And he did die too” 

Elured frowned. “Did you meet in the halls afterwards?” 

Nimloth did laugh. “No, we did not meet there, so we have some adult stuff to discuss. Eat now, the stew does go cold” 

The lads did sit down to eat and Nimloth did fill a bowl with stew. Celegorm did hear his own stomach rumble and he felt a bit silly. She handed it over and nodded. “Eat, after all, you are a guest here” 

Celegorm did taste the stew and it was good, in fact very good. He did stare at her with genuine gratitude. “I thank you my lady, I haven’t had decent food for days” 

She smiled and made sure that everybody had enough. They ate in silence and as the young twins did finish Celegorm heard Huan outside, the huge hound did scratch at the door and Nimloth did let him inn. The twins made huge eyes. “Is he yours? He is so large! What is his name?!”

The two did speak at the same time and that made it hard to understand anything at all. Celegorm had to grin, their enthusiasm was contagious. “He is Huan”

The two stared at him. “That means dog, you cannot name your dog Dog?” 

Celegorm snickered. “Well, in my family we aren’t that inventive when it comes to names, we are all named after our grandfather, in descending order” 

Nimloth had to hide a scoff. “Yes indeed, you are obsessed with “Fin”. An odd thing” 

Celegorm laughed. “Yes, father was ingenious but he was lacking when it came to finding good names for his son’s. As were the rest of the family as well” 

Dior had been silent but now he did lean forth. “Boys, why don’t you go outside and play with Huan, I am sure he will appreciate it” 

The two grinned from one ear to the other and ran out the door with the huge hound at their heels and Celegorm smiled at Nimloth. “He will keep them safe, he is really a maia, in the shape of a hound” 

Nimloth nodded. “So I have heard” 

Dior took a deep breath. “So, why are you here? I cannot believe it is a coincidence and I don’t think it is just about my dagger now is it?” 

Celegorm did lay the blade on the table. “No, not only that. I think Oromë has a sort of plan, I was sent here to watch over you, to keep you safe. He said your family is causing you trouble, Thingol right?” 

Dior did shrink and there was dread in his eye, Celegorm felt a surge of pity. “Yes, he…he will demand my return but I cannot…he is…!” 

Celegorm took a deep breath. “Rumours say that he is abusing you, is there truth to this?”

Nimloth did move very fast, she was beside her husband in the blink of an eye and lifted his tunic. Celegorm could see scars and faded bruises along his ribs and back and had to gasp. What was wrong with that ellon?!  
She almost sneered. “He has beaten his own grandson, been belittling him in any possible manner and caused nothing but misery and grief. He hates Dior for not being like Luthien, seemingly perfect!”

Celegorm did shake his head. “She may have been a lot but she was not perfect, far from it. Obsessed with herself is what I would say” 

Nimloth did take Dior’s hand. “And Dior has flaws which…makes him a target” 

Celegorm did sigh. “What flaws? I have heard that Thingol is very…conservative” 

Nimloth was staring at Celegorm and her eyes were hard. “If conservative means wicked and twisted and backwards yes. He is so much worse than that, once he did discover that Dior had written a poem which could be interpreted in a…deviant manner, and as punishment…” 

Dior was trembling and Nimloth did caress his cheek, there was true love there and it did fill Celegorm with a sort of awe. “He did violate him?” 

Nimloth did nod. “Yes, to make sure that he never would lust for another male again, oh he didn’t go all the way, that would be infidelity but he did…cause him a lot of harm” 

Celegorm felt his throat go dry. “How?” 

Dior did shiver, his voice was flat, almost dead. “He had this book, with images of people…doing it. Even some Ellyn. And I had to watch and when I reacted he would…” 

Nimloth’s eyes were almost shooting fire. “He did force his own grandson to get aroused and when that happened he would cane him, violently. Again and again!” 

Dior did just whisper. “I couldn’t react again…for months. I just…I was too scared” 

Celegorm did feel nauseous, no, sick! He had to swallow. “Son of a bitch! Too bad the dwarves didn’t follow him here, he ought to be cut down again, just to learn”

Nimloth sighed. “So now we are here for if we stay at the court I fear for my husband’s sanity and life” 

Celegorm could feel his own voice tremble. “Gods, that is…I understand that, I would have done the same” 

Nimloth took a deep breath. “Yes. Can you do it? Keep us safe?” 

Celegorm nodded. “I will try my outmost, and my lord will keep his eyes and ears open too. And he has many within this realm.” 

Dior just sat there, his face pale and his eyes closed. “If things had been different…” 

Celegorm nodded. “Yes, I see what you mean. The whole silmaril business was wretched and doomed from the beginning” 

Nimloth caressed her husband’s dark locks and he did lean his head into her touch, like a cat greets its owner. Celegorm did clear his voice. “So, I get it that you like both females and males?” 

Dior did tense up. “Yes, do that make me…abnormal” 

Celegorm shook his head. “No, absolutely not. I have bedded both females and males, the avarin elves didn’t bother with gender and there is no reason to believe that this wasn’t what Eru intended to begin with. “ 

Dior swallowed visibly. “Thingol…” 

Nimloth stared at Celegorm and her eyes were narrow. “Thingol has deemed such practices sinful, and I married Dior to save him from the condemnation of everybody who was somebody back then. Even if they did feel sympathy for him they couldn’t show it, for then Thingol would descent upon them too like some wrathful demi God, well aided by his wife” 

Celegorm nodded. “I see, have you ever bedded a male Dior?” 

The former king did almost sputter. “Ah…what?!”

Celegorm tried to smile. “I mean it, have you tried? Or have you ever only been with your wife?” 

Dior did blink. “Her touch is the only one I have ever felt yes. Why?”

Celegorm did smile, a rather sly grin. “Would you like to try? I am willing if you are and I don’t think I am wrong when I say that you have a whole lot of penned up emotions, boiling and struggling to break free.” 

Dior just gaped. He couldn’t have looked more shocked if a dwarf had dancing into the room, stark naked. Nimloth did cock her head. “You are serious?” 

Celegorm did nod. “Yes, screw that grandfather of yours, he has created naught but misery. Forget about his teachings and old fashioned ideas, free yourself” 

Dior swallowed and stared at Nimloth. “I….I am not so sure I dare to…” 

Nimloth did look at Celegorm and her eyes held an unusual calm. “You are right, he needs this, he needs to see that all he has been told has been wrong, that he isn’t some sick and weak abomination. Do you know that he had a crush on you back in Doriath, before…the fall?” 

Celegorm did try to look relaxed, but it was a bit hard. “No? He had?” 

Nimloth nodded. “Yes, he saw you once, and it stayed with him for years” 

Celegorm took a deep breath. “What do you say Dior, are you ready to learn some new moves?” 

Dior did look insecure and nervous and Nimloth did caress his hand. “My love, I have seen how you have tormented yourself, how the doubt have gnawed at your very soul. If you are willing to do this then I will support you. You need to start anew.” 

Dior looked at Celegorm, his one seeing eye was somewhat glassy. “If I say yes, will you swear that nothing bad will happen?” 

Celegorm did nod solemnly. “I will never hurt you intentionally if that is what you fear, worry not” 

Dior stared at Nimloth, Celegorm could see his pulse beating on his neck, it was very fast. “So, it will be alright with you…if I sleep with…him?” 

The voice was thin and Nimloth did lean forth and kissed him gently. “Yes, you need to find the balance within yourself dear, and right now you have none, at all. You are so afraid and don’t you think I have seen how you have suffered? Have seen your doubt? This is about more than sex, it is about freedom” 

Dior turned to Celegorm. “I…I say yes but…what do I need to…do?” 

Celegorm took a deep breath, this had gone easier than he had anticipated. “Not much, I suggest we wait until tonight, when the children are in bed and sleeping. Take a bath, that is all I ask for.” 

Dior nodded. “Ah…alright, I will do that.” 

Celegorm got up. “I will bathe too and prepare, I will be back at sunset.” 

Nimloth did cock her head. “Do you truly wish to do this or is this something your master wants from you?” 

Celegorm blinked, that female was in truth very intelligent. “It is my own heart’s desire my lady, I wish to do something good, to make it up to Dior for…what happened. Not that this in any way may compare but at least it is a start” 

Nimloth did smile. “Good, we will be ready.” 

Celegorm did exit the house, still a bit light headed but he felt way better and he was rather sure that the night to come would be one worth remembering. Yes, he was convinced that this would undo much of the damage Thingol had done in the past. The question was what the future would hold.


	5. Of what the heart sing

Celegorm did hold his word, he returned after sunset and he had taken a bath and prepared himself in every way he thought he would need. He knew that his best plan would be to simply take charge but not be dominant and he also knew that Nimloth ought to be there, to keep Dior calm. The way the former king had acted had told Celegorm a lot, he had never met an elf with lower self esteem before, not even former slaves. Thingol had all but crushed that young one’s light and it was a bloody shame. 

Nimloth had put the lads to bed and they were fast asleep and Celegorm did bring forth a flask of wine he had saved for special occasions, well, this had to count as that right? It was very sweet and very strong and Dior did receive it with a somewhat nervous grin. “Just a small cup, to calm the nerves.” 

Dior found some cups and did pour a bit into each one, Nimloth did smile, she did seem to be very confident but the husband wasn’t, at all. Celegorm could sense that but damn it, he was sure that when this night was over the former king would feel a whole lot better. Nimloth did wet her lips. “So, how do we proceed?” 

Dior had already downed his cup, and Celegorm did put the cork back in the flask, being too drunk whilst doing this was not a very smart idea. “Do you have a big bed? The one I was laid in isn’t large enough” 

The two nodded. “Yes, our bed is wide” 

Celegorm did grin. “Good, let’s get comfortable shall we? 

He had put on just his boots, a sort of kilt and a long tunic and now he did shed the tunic before he pulled the boots off. The kilt had a wrap around design, just pull one knot and the whole thing would come apart and he wore nothing underneath it. The two others wore wide robes and he suspected that they too were bare underneath the fabric. The bed was large, and solid and built into the very building so it was supported by the wall on two sides and there was plenty of pillows there. It did look both cosy and intimate and Celegorm smiled. “I think I will take charge at first, just to warm you up. And again, I will do nothing which may harm you, worry not.”   
Dior gave him a shy nod but didn’t seem to be able to look away from Celegorm’s naked chest. The silvery haired Feanorion did have a nice body and he was proud of it and he saw that Dior and Nimloth did settle down on the bed, Nimloth did place herself behind her husband and she did almost wrap herself around him, as if to prevent him from bolting and also to make sure that he was feeling safe. Dior swallowed hard with huge eyes, Celegorm did see that he was trembling ever so slightly. He did kneel on the bed in front of Dior and smiled. “You may touch if you like, it is hard to avoid actually, in a situation like this” 

Dior stared at his face for a moment, there was something very strange within his eyes and Celegorm felt a shiver running down his spine. This could become very strange indeed, he wanted to see Dior unleashed but what exactly was he about to set free?   
Dior gathered his courage and reached out, let a hand slide down the toned chest and Celegorm didn’t even flinch, then the dark haired one leaned inn a bit further and kissed Celegorm’s chest, where his collarbones met. It felt amazing and Celegorm almost hummed. “Good, what feels nice for your wife will feel nice for me too” 

Dior had an expression of determination on his face and Celegorm did move a bit closer, allowing Dior to explore his neck with lips and tongue. It brought him to the boiling point, the dark haired one did smell so good and he was very lovely like that. Celegorm did open the sash on the robe Dior wore and pulled it apart. He had been right, Dior was bare underneath it and for a moment the elf cringed and made a gesture as if to cover himself again.   
Celegorm did stare at the body which was exposed in front of him, it was a sight for sore eyes and he smirked. “You are absolutely toothsome! A feast for the eye and a feast to touch too” 

Dior frowned a bit. “You think so?” 

Celegorm saw that the low self esteem did raise its ugly head again, and decided to crush it, there and then. “Yes, you are so very masculine, so majestic” 

He did lean inn and kissed Dior on the mouth, a very gentle and almost chaste kiss and he was surprised when Dior did answer it, with gusto. He did almost bite Celegorm’s lower lip and the hunter smiled to himself, unleash indeed. Celegorm did deepen the kiss and Dior opened his mouth with a groan, let Celegorm inn and for a moment tongues were battling for dominance until Celegorm did pull back a bit. He was already panting and he was in awe of the treasure he was allowed to touch. Dior was indeed more masculine than most elves, the shoulders wider and the chest too and the muscles were more defined, had the courtiers known what those silly robes hid Celegorm was quite convinced that Dior would have been visited every night, whether he wanted to or not. 

Nimloth was caressing Dior’s shoulders and back as Celegorm did kiss him and now the hunter’s hands were sliding over warm skin and firm flesh and Dior gasped and writhed as Celegorm found a hardened nipple and pinched it gently. Nimloth did giggle. “Back in Doriath he had hair there, it is gone now but he felt that it was horrible, shaved it off” 

Celegorm did smile. “I see that you aren’t completely hairless still” 

He threw a quick glance at the dark haired one’s member, there was a faint dusting of dark hair around its base and Celegorm didn’t find that to be revolting at all. It did only add to the strange attractiveness of this person. Dior blushed and squirmed a little and Celegorm saw that he was becoming visibly aroused. Good, he was afraid that Thingol’s use of the cane had damaged Dior’s ability to get an erection while being with a male. Dior was rather large, Celegorm had anticipated that but he was relieved that most of the size was in the length, not in the girth. There was a limit to what he could deal with without hurting himself and Dior seemed to be just on the border of what he could take without extra preparation.   
“You are magnificent” 

Dior leaned forth and kissed Dior’s chest, then he started planting tiny butterfly kisses down the sternum and then along the hard stomach muscles. He did see that the former ruler hated it when certain scars got touched so he did avoid them and he did descend towards his goal very slowly but with clear determination. While doing this he did open the string holding the kilt together and let the garment fall off. Dior did gasp and stared but he didn’t flinch and he swallowed and there was something which reminded Celegorm of hunger in the seeing eye. This was heading in the right direction for sure.   
Celegorm did know all that was to know about the sensitive areas of a body, and he did use that now. He didn’t touch Dior where one would expect it, instead he did circle the very eager arousal and planted small kisses and nicks wherever he could, on the hipbones, along the inner thighs, the inside of the knees. He teased and taunted and Dior was panting now, the skin coated with a thin sheen of sweat and Nimloth did keep him in position, stroking his hair and whispering quiet words of encouragement. Celegorm could feel the tension within the dark haired one, the desperate need to just let go and go with the flow, forget about everything else and just feel. The fact that Nimloth was there made it a bit odd but Celegorm wasn’t new to bedding someone with an audience and he did find it stimulating. 

Dior was writhing by now. Celegorm did caress his scrotum with some quick and naughty licks and was rewarded by a small yip and a spasm which made the sinda tremble from toes to head. He knew that Dior was as ready as he could get and proceeded to lick the entire length of the straining shaft, in one long movement. Dior rolled his eyes, threw his head back, almost mad with sheer want. Celegorm was good at this, and he wasn’t afraid of showing his skills. He did place all his attention on the hard cock and used his tongue and lips for all they were worth, he hollowed out his cheeks and applied suction and then he did allow himself to slide so close that he did take it deep into his throat. Dior did tense up, mouth open and his expression one of disbelief mingled with intense pleasure. Nimloth couldn’t do that, she had too much of a gag reflex but Celegorm had trained himself to override that response. 

He gave Dior three slow and steady moves and the former king did gasp and then he did whimper as he came hard and Celegorm did take him deep again and swallowed it all. Celegorm hoped that Dior had some of the elven endurance, he did continue to tease with his tongue and the member started to get hard again immediately. That was what he had waited for and he did let go, Dior let out a small gasp of disappointment but Dior had his plans ready. He did slide himself up, too fast for Dior to protest and straddled the narrow hips before he reached down and arranged the now hard cock so that he could simply slide himself down upon it. He had prepared well, there was little pain and resistance and yet there was a sting to it but he was used to that and he didn’t hesitate. Dior was just staring in wide eyed shock which became sheer pleasure as Celegorm started to ride him. Each move careful and elegant and he did make sure that he allowed his partner to see how he slid down and up and down again, impaled on the arousal. 

Dior almost growled, he did pull himself up and sat, pulling Celegorm’s face closer, diving inn for an eager kiss. Celegorm didn’t fall out of rhythm at all, but he did change his angle a wee bit, he wanted some pleasure out of this too and he had to gasp and close his eyes for a few seconds. Dior was moaning and he had reached down and held onto Celegorm’s hips, almost lifting him with each thrust and Celegorm realized that the dark haired one would come again and fast. Nimloth was just staring, her eyes large and dark and Celegorm hoped that Dior would satisfy her too when this was all over, she deserved it, just for being there.   
The hunter felt his own climax approaching and decided to speed things up. He grasped onto his own cock and started to stroke it, with slow almost teasing movements as he kept riding Dior and the former king did growl again, the seeing eye was dark with desire and he was panting for air, it was a mesmerizing sight and one Celegorm found incredibly arousing. “Ah…oh Eru, I am…” 

Celegorm did arch backwards, couldn’t control the grimaces which always took over when he had an orgasm, the spasms made him see shooting stars and lightening and he yelled as he shook and shuddered and spurted thick ropes of come onto the taut belly and chest in front of him. That and the internal clenching made Dior come too, hard judging from the roar and the frantic attempts at thrusting up and Celegorm felt how wet warmth filled him, the sensation almost made him sob with sheer ecstasy. For a few seconds the faintly glowing lines were visible underneath Dior’s skin again and Celegorm knew that it was because of his maia blood, this brought that part of him closer to the surface, almost close enough to unleash it.   
Dior didn’t let go, he just held Celegorm there on his lap for several minutes, trying to catch his breath and Celegorm did lift his hands and slid them through the long silky dark locks, Dior didn’t protest and he had an almost sheepish expression upon his face, one of utter relief. Nimloth did giggle. “You guys were rather amazing together, I have never witnessed anything like it” 

Celegorm did slide down next to Dior and smiled back at her. “Thank you my lady, we aim to please” 

He did feel a wee bit sore and rather drowsy too but Dior did caress his shoulder and turned around, facing Nimloth. “I don’t think I ever imagined that it could be…” 

She laid a finger over his lips. “Hush you, I know! But watching you made me feel quite wanton and I want my reward for being patient” 

Dior grinned and leaned forth, kissed her swiftly. “Of course” 

He did pull her robe apart and descended upon her crotch like someone who was starving and Celegorm did avert his eyes, just to make sure that he didn’t embarrass her. It didn’t take long before she made a sharp yip and shuddered, her hand buried in her husband’s long hair and the other one grasping onto the covers. Celegorm allowed himself to just rest, he felt relaxed and at peace and Dior sat up and smiled. “Thank you, I feel…better” 

Celegorm caressed his hand. “Anytime, I hope you learned a little?” 

Dior nodded and his expression was one of thoughtfulness. “Yes, there wasn’t anything depraved about it, at all” 

Celegorm sighed and laid back towards the pillows. “Damn right there wasn’t, and now let us rest, I think we may go for a hunt tomorrow, I want to show you some tricks I bet you haven’t heard off before. I owe you some meat for that wonderful stew” 

Nimloth giggled and pulled the covers over them and Celegorm felt a lump in his throat as Dior did snuggle up against him with a trustfulness he never could have imagined possible before. They laid there in a heap and before long Dior and Nimloth did fall asleep, Celegorm wasn’t so relaxed but he too did give inn to his fatigue after a while and drifted off, in the hope of having changed things for them all.   
\------------------------------------------------

Orome and his wife Vana were not as lofty as the other valar, their approach to things were more of a practical nature and they tried to intervene as little as possible when it came to those who inhabited their woods but this was disturbing. Oromë did stare at a deer, the animal did look pissed off if one can use such an expression and she was stomping her hooves and snorting. The great hunter stared at his wife, his eyes were distant and revealed both a bit of shock and a large amount of anger. Vana sighed. “We cannot allow this, he is under our protection. I never understood why the others allowed that goddamn jerk to be reborn in the first place, he was not gonna change and everybody knew that” 

Oromë snickered. “The truth is that Namo was mightily bored of him, and preferred him gone! If Eru had allowed it he would have sent Thingol off to where the mortals go, maybe he could have been reunited with his precious daughter” 

Vana snorted and caressed the deer, stroking the long silky ears. “Go now dear, I will make sure that your fawn isn’t disturbed by that creepy female again” 

The deer bleated and took off and Vana got a sinister expression on her face. “What are we gonna do?” 

Oromë clenched his jaw tight. “What it is my duty to do, to protect my realm and my people. Sneaking inn here without an invitation and without alerting us of her presence nor her intentions is both rude and impolite. She will regret this” 

Vana took a deep breath. “She used to serve Yavanna?” 

Oromë nodded. “Yes, but she preferred to serve her own interests and now more than ever. Her bonds with the other maiar has been severed and she isn’t in servitude of anyone anymore. I had hoped that she would manage to put some common sense into that husband of hers but they say she is just as bad as he is” 

Vana hissed. “There is a reason Maiar aren’t supposed to breed, they cannot handle it, it makes them go bonkers. Are we to apprehend her?”

Oromë nodded. “Yes, and I know just how. She will go after Dior for sure and I have the perfect bait. Just you wait and see” 

Vana frowned. “Catching her will be easy enough but what about afterwards? What are you to do with her?” 

Oromë sighed. “I will inform Manwë and the others, she cannot be allowed to roam free, her madness is evident. No maia in her right mind would sneak around like that and try to find somebody, with the intention of bringing them back against their will” 

Vana tilted her head. “Ah-ah, I know of someone…” 

Oromë scoffed. “You think of Curumo right? But he had had his brain fried by Sauron, staring into that orb of his wasn’t smart nor healthy” 

Vana almost growled. “And Luthien did twist her mother around her little finger too, I am starting to wonder what was wrong with that female” 

Oromë nodded. “So do we all dear, so do we all” 

\------------------------------------  
The next day came with grey skies and cold rain and everybody decided to stay indoors to avoid the nasty weather. Celegorm did show the twins how to carve arrows and the two did thaw up to him very fast. They were very eager for him to tell stories of old and Celegorm was a bit charmed by their innocence and trust. He didn’t want to risk this newfound friendship in any manner so he didn’t even mention Doriath. Huan had been out hunting and returned with a huge hare which Nimloth did transform into a rather delicious roast. Celegorm was thinking, he and Dior did match in an odd way, there was something there which triggered his curiosity. He had never met anyone with whom his spirit felt more at peace and it was very strange indeed. But he had an idea of why, he and Dior could have been a couple back then, if it hadn’t been for that oath and the goddamn jewel.   
Maybe it had been Eru’s plan and Celegorm watched as Dior showed the twins how to attach the fletching onto the arrows. He had an idea, well, it was more of a thought than a real idea but the effect could be profound, if Dior did agree. It wasn’t unusual for kings to have consorts beside their official partner and Celegorm was willing to take that role, if only to piss off Thingol. 

The idea made him smirk and Nimloth stared at him. “What are you thinking about?” 

Celegorm had to chuckle. “Oh, imagine if Dior showed up at his grandfather’s court, having claimed me as his royal consort” 

Nimloth gaped, then she burst into laughter. “Oh Eru, he would blow a fuse, no, all of them. I have never heard of an elf dying from a heart attack but someone has to be the first right?” 

Dior raised an eyebrow, he did look a bit shocked. “Are you willing to do that, for me?” 

Celegorm nodded. “Yes, without hesitation. Thingol needs to get those attitudes of his stuffed down his throat once and for all” 

Dior smiled, a very nervous smile but there was something about his expression which told them that the idea wasn’t completely horrible.   
The twins insisted on going out to test the arrows and Celegorm went with them just to make sure that nothing happened to them and Dior turned to Nimloth, his eye was very distant. “What do you think of this proposal?” 

She sighed and pulled her legs up. “I haven’t got anything against it, honestly. I think you need something more than what I can give you. You have spent your entire life supressed and filled with guilt, one you never should have felt to begin with. Celegorm can give you a much needed balance” 

Dior sighed. “I am not so sure, but I will think about it. If I take Celegorm as my consort then I will have the entire Finweian clan at my back won’t I?” 

Nimloth nodded. “Yes, and more so, you will show that the past is just that, past. That all wrong doings are forgiven and that we have moved on. Many may question you but I think you are stronger than you think” 

Dior smiled gently and laid a hand over hers. “Thank you” 

She smiled and leaned inn, kissed the back of his hand. “You are welcome!”

They didn’t get to go on the hunt for another three days, the weather was dreadful with heavy rain and they stayed indoors the whole time. Dior had started to enjoy the company of the Feanorion, Celegorm had a wicked sense of humour and he did also have much greater understanding of things than one would guess judging by his reputation. They spent a lot of time talking and Dior did reveal everything, every harsh word, every curse he had heard flung at him. Celegorm wished that the valar could have transformed Thingol into something disgusting for a few centuries, like a lamprey or a leech. The elf had to be insane. 

Finally they did get the weather Celegorm was waiting for and he and Dior left for the woods. Celegorm had some plans he hadn’t shared with Dior, he had seen how restrained the former king was and how afraid he was to hurt others. There had to be something there which could explain just that and Celegorm wanted Dior to really unleash his inner feelings. They did venture deep into a river valley where the game was plentiful and at first they did just hunt. They caught some deer and prepared the carcasses for transport and afterwards they did wander off to a small lake. It was warm now and they could bathe and Celegorm did take a short trip into the bushes to prepare himself. He wanted to rid Dior of yet another ghost of the past. 

He found two long sticks and cut them into a sort of practice weapon. “How about some sparring? I remember that your technique was rather unusual” 

Dior did take the stick and his face was a bit unreadable. “Are you serious?”

Celegorm did nod. “Yes, I am. Come on, let us have some fun” 

He did expect Dior to hesitate but he didn’t, he did get into a start position and before long they were engaged in a very feisty sparring match. The sticks weren’t as good as real sparring swords but good enough and Celegorm was impressed. Dior hadn’t been training at all since his rebirth but he still had the memory of his practice and he was in fact surprisingly good. Celegorm knew that the sinda was an excellent swordsman and if he hadn’t had a blind eye he would have been among the very best. 

Celegorm did tease the dark haired ellon, taunted and forced Dior to fight aggressively and it worked. Dior did use more force and moved faster and more fleetingly. Celegorm pushed Dior to the very brink of what he could cope with and in the end Celegorm’s stick did break, he had calculated that it would. He did bow as if in submission and Dior tossed his own stick away. He did grasp onto Celegorm with surprising strength, and suddenly the silvery haired ellon found himself on the ground with Dior on top. Celegorm pushed his hips up towards the other one, hard. “Go on, show me your might, show me what you truly want” 

Dior growled and Celegorm had to yip as he was being thrown around and his clothes got torn off rather brutally. But he didn’t complain, he had anticipated this much and he was used to rough play. He got into a better position and Dior did bite his shoulder, pulled at the long silvery braid so Celegorm had to arch his back and push his rear against Dior’s crotch. The fighting had truly awakened the passion within the dark haired ellon, he did not even wait to check if Celegorm was ready for this or not, he just plunged into him with a hard thrust and Celegorm had to choke a cry, it did hurt but it would be worth it.   
He was gasping for air as he was being taken rather roughly. “Yes, just like that. You are the strongest, nobody can deny that” 

Dior just hissed and kept moving and Celegorm could almost feel it, how the air was filled with energy. The maia powers Dior had inherited from his grandmother were about to be set free. The anger and sorrow and fear Dior had felt had turned into something which resembled sheer madness and he screamed as it left him in a climax which was so hard it almost knocked him out. He collapsed over Celegorm who had to heave for air, by Eru he was gonna be sore but if this had had its desired effect it was worth it. 

Neither of them had been aware of the presence hiding among the trees, it was Oromë and he was very pleased by what he saw, the plan was going in the right direction. He did grin, having gathered a bit of the energy Dior had released had been easy and now he did add some more power to it and set it free. It would be a perfect bait and he couldn’t wait to see its effect. And Celegorm was indeed onto the right idea, taking the role as consort would most certainly make some of the doriathrin nobles choke on their wine. The great hunter was laughing as he wandered off into the woods again. Yes, things were heading in the right direction now, he only had to keep his eyes open for elves who had been tempted by Thingol’s reward.


	6. Hidden plans

Melian was in a very foul mood, she had travelled for days to reach the woods and it was just because of a rumour that Dior had been spotted there. When she had been allowed to return to her husband’s side she had agreed upon being way less powerful than before but she did have some abilities and she used them for all that they were worth now. She had to get that insolent child back to where he rightfully belonged. 

Melian had never bonded with her grandson, she had never taught him anything about what her blood meant to him and she had more or less ignored him his entire life. He was in her eyes worthless, and a reminder of the human who had stolen her perfect daughter away from her. In truth her love for Luthien had been more than a wee bit on the choking side and it was really no wonder that Luthien had rebelled, To Melian Luthien had been flawless, an idol and to see that her cherished daughter had a lovelife and even had a child was like a blow to the gut.   
How could their realm be perfect when the gem of their crown spread her legs for a filthy human? Melian didn’t care about Dior’s family, all she wanted was to bring him back, to please her husband. She had become obsessed with keeping Thingol happy after his rebirth, in every possible manner and if she did claim that her daughter had acted slutty she ought to take a long deep look in a mirror for her own behaviour wasn’t much better these days. She was terrified of losing Thingol again and in her eyes he did no errors at all. 

She knew of his abusive ways and she approved, Dior was in her eyes a weakling, an abomination and something which shouldn’t be. The only reason she had for accepting him at court was the fact that he was their daughter’s son and they hoped to see a new Luthien spring from his loins. She had handpicked so many eager young maidens and sent them to his bed, hoping that it would result in the rebirth of their daughter. That it was both illegal and unethical was just a fleeting thought for her, she cared only about her own goals. This time she wouldn’t accept his refusal, she would put him into a deep sleep and then let some of the best candidates have their way with him. Surely he was fertile enough and there were herbs which would ensure that certain bodyparts remained alert even when he wasn’t. 

She had caught the faint scent of him or rather, the feeling of his aura earlier that day and now she was in hot pursuit. She was too eager to realize that it was something off about it and she slid through the woods in single minded determination. She was sure she saw him, between some trees and she sped ahead, spreading her powers to trap him like a fisherman spreads his nets along the shore.  
But to her great shock she didn’t catch anything at all, there was nobody there and she couldn’t move anymore, as a matter of fact she was stuck to something the way a fly gets caught in a spider’s web and she was squirming and making angry noises. What was this? 

The maia was fighting the power which held her but it was of no use for it was the power of a vala and even a strong maia is no match for that. She did hiss and tear at the invisible web and a glowing figure did appear and made a swift gesture and suddenly she was gone from the woods altogether. Manwe did sigh and in a flash of light he did appear in his palace with his prisoner. Melian was unconscious and hang in the air and the other valar and some maiar did appear around him. “So, what do you suggest we do with our sister here? Something is clearly wrong with her mind and she cannot be allowed to roam free. What she was planning on doing was worthy of Sauron, not a creature of light” 

Nienna did raise her voice. “She is tainted by the past, twisted and corrupted by the powers of that place and by her daughter. She must be cleansed.”

Everybody nodded and Manwë did turn to face the maia, his face was rather hard. “She has accepted things which are monstrous and done nothing to end it, there has to be punishment” 

There was some mumbling going on and Vana did tilt her head. “What sort of punishment my king?”

Manwë did stare at the unconscious maia. “She is to spend at least two millennia as a mortal, reincarnating from one body to the next and always facing hardship and torment. She needs to learn empathy and what it means to be helpless. Right now she is so full of herself she is like a hot air balloon” 

The allegory made some of the others smirk but he was right, Melian had become rather haughty and she was downright nasty when with other maiar, as if her marriage to an elf had somehow made her more than what the others were. Manwë did a gesture and Melian did disappear completely, he cocked his head. “We ought to deal with her husband as well but I have a strong feeling that this already is well on its way” 

He didn’t say anything more and the others just stared at each other. Sometimes the lord of the valar could be very cryptic indeed. 

 

Celegorm and Dior had bathed and now they were returning to the hut with the meat and they were acting very relaxed and Celegorm did in fact flirt a bit with the dark haired ellon. Dior did blush and squirm a little but he did like it, he just wasn’t used to that sort of attention from another male. The horses were following them and Huan was out there somewhere too, Celegorm was explaining about the proper way to hunt boar when they heard something up ahead, it was a scream and the sound of fighting and Dior went pale as a ghost. “Nim! And the kids!”

Celegorm did grasp onto his collar before he could rush headlong into danger without checking what it was about. “Whoa there, easy. Follow me!”

Celegorm told the horses to stay put and whistled to get Huan to come to him, then he took off from the path and ran through the thicket towards the hut. The structure was almost hidden by the dense forest and Celegorm did know how to be stealthy. What he did see made him growl, two grown Ellyn were holding onto Nimloth and another one was obviously searching the perimeter for the twins. She was squirming and yelling in Sindarin and it was obvious that the attackers were aman elves who never had been outside of the blessed realm for they didn’t understand that she was telling the lads to stay hidden where they were. Dior was trembling and his eyes were huge, there was an odd light in them and Celegorm bit his teeth together. He had no idea of what Dior was capable of doing if the maia powers suddenly were set free, it could get nasty. He whispered. “Stay here, the lads are in the trees somewhere, I can smell them.” 

Dior gasped. “I can’t just lay here like some coward? It is my wife and my children damn it!”

Celegorm rolled his eyes. “Alright, then be bait. Run towards the glade by the river and let them catch a glimpse of you. I will take care of the rest!”

Dior nodded and proved that his long legs were more than just decorative, he was fast and he did act as if he was trying to hide but one of the Ellyn did see him and shouted. The one who wasn’t holding onto Nimloth did run after him and that was when Huan showed up. The enormous hound simply ran straight at the elf and knocked him over and then he sat down on the terrified ellon. The two who held onto Nimloth didn’t see this, they only heard a yell and a sort of thud and expected that their buddy had managed to get Dior. Celegorm was sneaking up behind them and he was wielding a wooden hammer they usually used to tenderize meat. One quick strike at each of them and they fell like rotten trees to an autumn storm. 

Nimloth made a small shriek and stared at Celegorm who just grinned and tied the two up. She was shivering. “Oh Eru, they just showed up and claimed that they would hurt the boys if I didn’t tell where my husband was” 

Huan came with the third elf, he was unconscious and the huge hound was simply dragging him by his collar. Celegorm sighed and tied him up too. “This is too bad, did they say why? “ 

She nodded and picked up a bag somebody had dropped, it did contain a piece of parchment and on it was a drawing of Dior and it promised a reward for his return to Thingol. The amount of money made Celegorm stare and blink. “Morgoth’s balls! That is a fortune, no wonder why they were so eager. This is bad, very bad!”

Dior had returned now and hugged Nimloth and the twins appeared too, they had been hiding within a hollow tree the entire time. Nimloth was almost crying. “What can we do? We…we will be hunted!”

Celegorm almost sneered, he tore the poster in half and his eyes were blazing. “Thingol has gone too far, this is in reality asking people to commit a crime. I will have to ask my lord for advice, and I suggest that you stay indoors for the rest of the day. I will check the perimeter for more morons” 

Dior stared at the three Ellyn . “What are we to do with these?” 

Celegorm clenched his teeth together. “They did attack you didn’t they?” 

Nimloth nodded and her eyes were dark still . “Yes, came out of nowhere and grasped onto me” 

Celegorm took a deep breath. “I will leave that to Oromë, this is his realm after all. I will put them on horses and take them to the sacred glade, I bet the great hunter will want some answers”

He didn’t hesitate, he hauled the elves up as if they were packages and tied them to a horse each. Then he sent Huan to do some searching and when the hound returned he took off. He had to find a way to protect this family. 

Dior and Nimloth did return to the hut, Huan would guard it until Celegorm did return and they locked the door and wouldn’t open it for anyone. 

\---------------------------------------  
Elrond and Maedhros were riding south, Maedhros had agreed upon joining Elrond in his quest for Dior and with a Feanorian royal by his side Elrond did discover that he was treated in a whole new manner. Maedhros wasn’t somebody anyone would mistake for someone else and he did act with a sort of majestic calm which told Elrond that he hadn’t forgotten his days as king, even if they had been few. The inns and stables along the path were nice and Elrond was worried, he knew that Dior was unstable and they did encounter many elves who said that wanted posters had been spread out everywhere. Thingol was willing to give a fortune to have his grandson returned to him willing or not and Maedhros was visibly upset by this. Acting thus was something which was worthy of an orc, not an elf. 

They were very visible and Elrond was afraid that Thingol could have spies out, if somebody saw him they could easily add two and two and get four and he tried to cover his face and stay as anonymous as possible. If he had dared to ask his foster father he would have preferred to be dressed as a page or something like that. They were at an inn not far from the woods when they became aware of a presence, somebody there was looking at them and Maedhros did fling his cloak to the side, to gain access to his sword if this was an enemy. 

Elrond saw that a hooded figure sat in a corner and he made Maedhros aware of the person. Maedhros got up, his full height made his head almost touch the roof and the stranger did not move. “Who are you? Reveal yourself!”

The stranger got up too, and he was tall, not quite as tall as Maedhros but not far from it and he let the cloak drop down. Elrond was staring. “Elmo?!”

The huge sinda did nod and walked over, sat down by their table. He stared at them both and the dark blue eyes were serious. “We need to talk”

Maedhros just blinked. “No shit, what are you doing here? We had no idea you were re-embodied?” 

Elmo nodded and they could see the similarities between him and Thingol but there were differences as well and they were rather obvious now. Elmo was dressed as a march warden and carried a bow and swords and he had a dagger strapped to his thigh. “I did return some decades ago, have lived in the wilds ever since, with some of the other sindar. And now we have agreed that action is needed, my brother is insane and has to be stopped. His reign is a parody, an atrocity. Our spies within the court claim that he sees himself as equal to the valar and his laws are getting more and more absurd” 

Maedhros did frown. “Really? Not that he was completely normal back in the first age but he was a good king to his people, nobody can deny that.” 

Elmo was almost growling. “Well, something must have gone awry when they gave him a new body I think, some connections within his brain must have fried, or perhaps they accidentally merged his Fëa with that of a balrog, what do I know. He has been discussing bringing the disgusting old human custom of “prima nocte” back to use” 

Elrond did look aghast but Maedhros looked puzzled. “The what?”

Elmo sighed. “It is a terrible human custom which gave the lord of the land the right to lay with a bride on the first night of the marriage, to bring “luck”. It would be the lord of the area who then had the honour of deflowering every maiden within his realm” 

Maedhros was gaping, pure disbelief was showing on his face. “Are you kidding me?!”

Elmo shook his head. “Wish I was, but that is just the start. He wants to make everybody dedicate one day each year to celebrate his daughter and to use that day to sing praises in her name and on top of that do sacrifice to bring her back. And we are not talking vegetables here, we are talking blood sacrifice” 

Elrond was grey in the face. “You are right, he has become mad!” 

Elmo nodded and sent them a sad grin. “Yes, so we are a small group trying to make sure that his reign ends as soon as possible” 

Maedhros cocked his head. “A small group?” 

Elmo grinned. “Well, not so small but we have some important names on the list, to be honest almost everybody who is someone. The sindar leaders are all inn on it. “

Elrond turned his head around, his eyebrows almost touching his hairline “Oropher?” 

Elmo nodded . “And Thranduil, his son, Celeborn is inn on it too” 

Elrond had to blink, he had seen his father in law not long ago and the ellon hadn’t acted out of the ordinary at all. Elmo shrugged. “We are planning a coup, and there can be no mistakes made. But I am rather sure that the valar are with us on this one” 

Maedhros did grin. “I agree, they are most likely just waiting for somebody to take the first step.” 

Elrond took a deep breath. “When will this happen?” 

Elmo did look down. “Soon, in a few weeks time. We are working from the inside of the court, removing some of the most loyal followers. He has some ass-kissers in his entourage, elves willing to do whatever it takes to rise in power and influence” 

Elrond made a grimace. “Grandfather has told me about them, some tried to get their daughter’s into his bed”

Elmo nodded. “Yes, like I said, they will shy away from nothing” 

Maedhros stared at Elrond. “We better hurry if we are to reach Dior then, before things start to happen. He has to know that his grandfather is about be dethroned.” 

Elrond smiled and the smile was a bit vicious. “Yes indeed, I bet he will be thrilled!”

Elmo smirked. “I know that Dior never wanted to be a king, he is a child of the woods. There will be others taking over the control of the sindar.” 

Maedhros did look curious. “Who? Are you going to be the king of new Doriath?” 

Elmo had to laugh. “Oh Eru, imagine me as a ruler of anything except a mug of ale? No, I am just a foot soldier, I have no interest in power. Thranduil is gonna be the ruler whence everything has been taken care off” 

Elrond had to laugh, the two others stared at him with narrow eyes. “What?” 

Elrond did almost start to hiccup. “The wine makers ought to double their work force then, and triple the harvest. And the sindar better prepare themselves for a king with a royal temper and a fondness for partying” 

Elmo scoffed. “You won’t hear me complain, the court these days is said to be more like a funeral than anything else” 

Elmo got up. “I have to go now, but remember that things are about to change” 

Elrond did shake his hand and the ellon did disappear into the darkness again, the healer stared at his foster father with narrow eyes. “So, things are about to change?” 

Maedhros did wave a hand at the barkeep. “Yes, let’s toast to change then, and let us hope that your grandfather is alright” 

Elrond sighed. “Yes, I feel as though we ought to hurry though, I fear that Thingol’s hands are long and have reached even the woods already”   
\-----------------------------------------------

Celegorm did enter the camp in which Oromë did stay late in the evening, the three elves were awake now and complaining loudly and Celegorm told them to shut it, in a less than polite manner. Oromë himself came to see what the fuss was about and he did listen as Celegorm explained. The three were ushered off by some maiar and the great hunter sat down with Celegorm and he did look worried. “I was afraid of something like that my friend, Dior is after all the heir to the throne, although a reluctant one. He would be way happier here I think, living as an ordinary elf” 

Celegorm did take a deep breath. “I have suggested becoming his consort” 

Oromë did tilt his head. “Truly? You are willing to do that sacrifice?” 

Celegorm closed his eyes and nodded. “I am, I have had time to think and I can truly say that I feel something when I am with him, I cannot explain nor describe it but it is real” 

Oromë did chuckle. “I can see that, it is in your aura. You are meant for each other, trust me my friend, things will get better from now on” 

Celegorm made a grimace. “But I do fear for him, I cannot always be there to protect him and he is…he isn’t a violent person, nobody fears him and he has never been respected by anyone. It is truly so sad” 

Oromë did throw a quick glance at the silvery haired one. “Well, that may change too. Bring him to the festival next week, I and my wife have been thinking a bit and we have made a decision. He is after all of maiar blood and there is no reason why he shouldn’t be allowed to use those powers.” 

Celegorm gaped, then he grinned all over. “Yes! That will give him respect, and self confidence too. Nobody will want to mess with him anymore”

The great hunter petted Celegorm on the back. “Exactly. He is strong Celegorm, way stronger than anyone has ever imagined. There is a reason why the maiar aren’t supposed to breed, the cross breeds tend to become stronger than their parents, distilling the powers from both sides and expanding them too” 

Celegorm did hesitate for a moment. “I was wondering…Luthien, she was stronger than her mother, perhaps strong as a vala. Could that forest have anything to do with it?” 

Oromë sighed and his eyes were distant. “Ah, Nan Elmoth was a bad place Celegorm, thank Eru it is now beneath the sea. There was magic there which could have challenged even us, and I do believe that some of it was harboured by that girl, it was wild and wicked and utterly selfish. Some of it is also in Dior Celegorm, but he has something she didn’t have, a good heart and empathy for others. Thus it will never corrupt him” 

Celegorm did smile. “I know” 

Oromë did lean over and kissed him on the forehead. “Go now. Bring them both here. We will awaken him fully and he will never again be belittled by his grandfather” 

Celegorm bowed his head. “I thank you” 

The great hunter did smile. “It is so little, and we do enjoy making problems for those who go against the will of Eru.” 

Celegorm did return to the hut after a long rest and a peaceful ride back and he didn’t tell Dior about the fact that he would gain full access to his maiarin powers, he just said that the great hunter wanted to meet him and Dior did agree. He hoped that the favour of the vala would keep him and his family safe. 

Over the next days Celegorm spent time with the twins and the two lads had become familiar with him now, they saw him as a sort of favourite uncle and Nimloth was so relieved that he was there for now she could work and do things without having to worry about the lads all the time. Celegorm did teach them much and Dior and he did cooperate very well. Dior was slowly relaxing, Huan was keeping watch all the time and he did do an excellent job too. Celegorm told all the local wildlife to keep an eye out too so the hut was never unguarded. 

Nimloth did notice the change in her husband, there was a new spring in his step and his face was showing joy instead of constant stress and fear. It was wonderful and he had become more affectionate and open too. He would no longer be afraid to hug her or kiss her and at night the three of them became more used to each other too. Nimloth didn’t allow Celegorm to touch her, she was too afraid of conceiving a child with silvery hair but she did enjoy their moments of intimacy too, she just made sure that Dior was the only one who took her. 

The day before the festival they packed and prepared to leave for the sacred glade and that was when Celegorm did tell Dior that the vala was planning on giving him full control of his heritage. Dior was a bit intimidated by it but after a short time he did realize that it was for the best. As a maia nobody would dare to mock him again and Celegorm did promise to take his place by his side as his consort, the two of them together ought to shut up even the most traditionalist elves. Celegorm was smiling as he went to sleep that day, it would be a festival of extraordinary splendour for sure. Dior would never be quite the same and neither would he.


	7. The fall of a king

Celegorm was feeling a wee bit nervous, he had plans for the festival and he was rather adamant that he wouldn’t change them. It was time to face the great question and see whether or not Dior was ready to take their relationship to the next and permanent level. So far Dior had been the active part and Celegorm had been on the receiving end but if this was to be a real thing it had to work both ways. Celegorm had attended this festival a lot of times and he was rather sure that it would cause some effects. 

The twins were left in the camp of Oromë and his followers, some friendly ellith Celegorm knew promised to look after the kids since children weren’t allowed at the sacred glade. Dior was nervous that he would be recognized and even if Celegorm did ensure him that this wouldn’t matter he still had some problems with the wanted posters so they decided to arrive in disguise. The avarin elves had some peculiar customs and Celegorm had arranged their clothes and hair so that they did look like a newly wedded avarin couple. Celegorm had even added some beads to Dior’s hair and smeared his face with some paint which did distort the facial features pretty well. He was not going to be recognized by anyone who didn’t know him pretty well from before. 

Nimloth was easier to disguise for few had even bothered with her and her rather dark complexion and fair hair did make her look pretty much like many of the avarin ellith of the area. The festival was a grand event and in honour of the woods and their fertility so Celegorm had warned the two that things would get wild. At first there were just singing and drinking and some very relaxed ring dances around the bon fires. Some were dressed up as game while others were hunters and “chased” the prey to commemorate special hunts and some would gather and sing about those who had died and refused to be returned to life, to remember them and bring their names back from the past. 

Oromë was there with Vana and some of his maiar and he was dressed up as if for a hunt but he wore a stags head complete with antlers on his head and he did also wear some paint and odd jewellery made from carved bone. He did look impressive and majestic and Vana was also very lovely this day, wearing a very thin gown which was almost completely transparent. As the sun set the partying got wilder. Both Dior and Nimloth had decided not to drink anything stronger than berry cider but many were already rather intoxicated. Some were still singing but now the songs had become rather indecent and there was no doubt as to why the festival was off limits to anyone underage. 

The dancing did take on a way more risqué nature too and the rhythms had changed with it, Nimloth did notice that some of the dancing wasn’t as much dancing as vertical intercourse. There were couples at it everywhere and some were more than two too. Dior was blushing and he did look a bit shocked but Nimloth did know her husband and she did also know Celegorm by now. He had planned this well ahead and she had to grin. Celegorm had walked off and now he did appear again, buck naked and with some odd patterns painted all over his body. He was given the role as ritual sacrifice and now he started to dance in front of the great hunter, and it was a dance made to seduce for sure. Dior couldn’t tear his eyes away from the graceful movements and the elegant body which was following a primeval rhythm, old as time itself. After a while the vala got up and walked over to Celegorm, he started to caress the silvery haired elf and then pushed him down onto the ground and Nimloth noticed that Dior was breathing rather hard watching this. He had truly awakened and didn’t feel any shame anymore, he had accepted his true nature and she was very glad he had. 

The action going on all around them did affect her, she was after all a warm blooded one and unlike the maidens of Doriath she hadn’t been ignorant when she went to her marriage bed. She had been untouched for sure but she had known all that there was to know about these matters and it had been a great benefit to both her and Dior. If she had been one of those sheltered and ignorant maidens who had no idea of what to do whence in bed with a male she would have struggled getting a good marriage, it was rather likely that such a scenario would have resulted in an unconsummated marriage. 

Now she did turn to him and kissed him and he answered it, eagerly and with zeal. Nobody bothered with them, there were people everywhere but they were all doing the same thing and nobody was interested in peeping. Nimloth was the active one, she did straddle his hips and got their clothes out of the way and Dior was switching between staring at her and Celegorm who by now was being thoroughly fucked by the vala. He was in obvious ecstasy and Nimloth could hear him screaming, it made her blush but Dior groaned and flipped them over so she was under him and suddenly he was thrusting into her like never before. The sight had obviously turned him on to a whole new degree. Nimloth didn’t try to hide her pleasure and she yelled his name as she climaxed and he did follow suit with a guttural growl. 

Afterwards they just laid there, panting for air and feeling oddly giddy, like unruly kids who has done a prank and gotten away with it. Celegorm was allowed back onto his feet as the vala was done too, he took off with his wife and Celegorm walked over to them. He sat down and smiled. Dior did stare at the sweaty body in front of him and Celegorm grinned, he did stretch out on the grass and pushed himself up on an elbow. “So, are you ready to go the whole way? Do you allow me to take you?” 

Dior did hesitate but Nimloth sent him a reassuring smile. “It is alright love, I am here” 

The dark haired one smiled and turned to Celegorm again. “I am ready, just…be gentle” 

The hunter smiled and reached out, caressed some thick dark locks. “Of course my sweet, don’t worry. I am gonna get you ready and then I promise, you will enjoy this” 

Dior did swallow and he did look a bit nervous but he wasn’t afraid, just a bit worried that it would trigger bad thoughts. Celegorm got closer to him and started to kiss and caress him and Dior did react rather fast. There was still pretty much going on around them and it was arousing to watch. Dior gasped and writhed as Celegorm did stroke him with slow and steady touches and he closed his eyes in obvious pleasure. 

Celegorm had brought some oil and now he did pour a decent amount of it into a hand before starting to caress Dior’s ass. The dark haired one did tense up and his eyes got huge since this was a rather unfamiliar sensation but he did relax again and moaned, he was sensitive and it felt good. He did tense up again as Celegorm did press one finger into his body, very slowly and gently. The feeling was so completely new and it felt strange and at the same time there was a sensation of pleasure there. The former king did groan and spread his legs wider, thinking of the scandal it would have caused if anybody back home had known about this. But he found that he didn’t care anymore, they could go screw themselves and he felt a thrill running down his spine. He was breaking free from his grandfather and this was the final step, the final barrier to cross. He almost wished that Thingol could have seen this, his grandson laying there with a Feanorion’s cock up his ass and enjoying it. 

Celegorm did use quite a lot of the oil and he didn’t rush it at all, he did take it very slowly and when he was sure that Dior could take it he did slide closer to the dark haired one and kissed him on the neck. “I am not gonna top you Dior, that would be unfair. Lay on your back but tilt your hips to the side” 

Dior did obey and Nimloth sat next to him and held his hand, she was rather charmed by how gentle Celegorm was. Celegorm placed himself behind Dior and took the dark haired one’s top leg and laid it backwards over his own hip, this way he had access but Dior wouldn’t feel trapped in any manner. Dior was clearly very aroused by now and he was heaving for air as Celegorm did stroke him gently to prepare him. The hunter knew how to do this and he did almost bring Dior to an orgasm before he did thrust himself inside in one swift move. Dior arched and whimpered, his eyes wide open and his mouth an O. The feeling was unlike any he had ever felt, there wasn’t really much pain, just an odd stretch and tightness but it was so strange and he tried to relax and allow his body to truly feel this. Celegorm did kiss his shoulder, whispering soothing words and then he angled his hips a bit and started to thrust and Dior let out a wail of sheer shock and pleasure. The pressure hit something inside him, something which sent sparks of sheer feeling through his body and he almost sobbed with pleasure, clinging to Nimloth’s hand with all his might.   
Celegorm chuckled. “Found it, just let it happen dear, let us be as one” 

Celegorm was close too now and he was struggling to hold back until Dior came, luckily he didn’t have to wait for long, the dark haired one did arch again, the entire body trembled as he plunged into an intense orgasm. He screamed and Celegorm did roar and let himself spill, the sensation of the warm tightness pulsing around him was driving him insane. Nimloth had to giggle, both Ellyn were making grimaces which were rather peculiar to watch but she was also feeling rather humble. When they came down from the high Celegorm did pull out and kissed Dior lovingly. “I am yours now, as you are mine” 

Dior did smirk, there was a hint of mirth in his eye. “Oh yes, and I cannot wait to tell my grandfather that I now have a male lover” 

Nimloth giggled. “Oh sweetheart, that would be mean now wouldn’t it? He may suffer a stroke!”

Celegorm held Dior close. “So much better then, the world is better without that one” 

They laid there just snuggling for a while and then the three started to feel the need for more intimacy and Celegorm did show them how Dior could take Nimloth while being taken. That sent him straight into a new climax and Celegorm had to grin to himself. He had awakened a beast there, there was no doubt that they would be rather busy for a while, Dior would need a lot before he became sated. 

In the end they all fell asleep in a pile of arms and legs and Dior hadn’t slept that well for many ages. Celegorm did awaken them in the morning, they had a bath and some breakfast and then he did take the two off to see the great hunter. Oromë and his wife was waiting for them by a sacred tree and Dior and Nimloth did kneel down. Oromë did shake his head. “No need to kneel for us friends, stand up.”

Dior got back up and he was a bit nervous. Vana did cock her head. “You are as beautiful as your mother but you have warmth and she was devoid of just that. Now, we have decided that your powers are to be awakened in full. Melian is…taken care off and it is only fair that you take her place among the maiar. Her powers are hereby yours too” 

Vana did walk forth and she started to glow, her eyes became glowing orbs and she laid a hand gently on Dior’s forehead. He did gasp and suddenly the lines became visible again. And they were way more defined than before, beautiful vine like patterns which did look completely normal on him. Both his eyes started to glow in a soft green tone and he heaved for air, there was a sound like a crack of thunder and the air shook and Vana did let go, she smiled and returned to normal. “From now on you are among the maiar Dior, and you will receive some training from one of my maiar soon. Go now, enjoy these days of peace, don’t worry, your grandfather’s schemes are over” 

Dior did bow, his eyes didn’t glow anymore but the lines were visible now, probably permanent. It did look good on him and the odd thing was that the blind eye no longer was white, it had turned dark green instead and it held a faint glow even now. Celegorm did embrace him. “Nobody is ever going to belittle you again, you are so much more than them.” 

Dior hugged him back, tears in his eyes. “Yes, grandfather is gonna have to eat his words” 

They returned to the camp and picked up the lads who had been playing with some avarin kids and ended up in a mud pit, looking terrible. Nimloth didn’t have the heart to scold them and they were asking a lot of questions about their father’s new markings and the way he did glow slightly in the dark. Dior did explain as well as he could and the twins were in awe. The dark haired one did already feel different, stronger and more whole and he felt the forest in a whole new way. He could hear the trees and sense their slow and steady thoughts and he was more awake than ever before. The life he had lived until now felt as if he had been asleep the whole time. They decided to spend the day together as a family and ended up fishing and just playing around until they joined some other elves by the bonfires and sat there telling stories and enjoying the company. Here nobody did even raise an eyebrow seeing somebody with two spouses and Dior was way more confident now than before. 

The next day they did return to the hut and were surprised when they saw horses outside of the simple abode. Celegorm did tense up, he did fear that this was somebody out to kidnap either Dior or the kids and Dior did push Nimroth behind himself to protect her in case this was enemies. But as two Ellyn did appear behind the hut it quickly became clear that these were friends and there was a lot of hugging and greeting going on for a while. Dior was very glad to see his grandson there and a bit awestruck by the presence of Maedhros. He was in short speechless and Celegorm did hug his brother and smirked. “You have to go and prepare the family, I have become Dior’s consort” 

Maedhros did gape, then he did blink and then he had to cough for he had held his breath for too long. “I beg your pardon?!”

Celegorm grinned widely. “You heard me, I am his consort. We do believe that this was what Eru had in mind but you know how the first age was, everything which could go to hell did go to hell, with bravado!”

Maedhros coughed again and Elrond rolled his eyes. “Indeed, that is…not an overstatement at least. But you are aware of the consequences?” 

Celegorm did nod. “Of course, I hope that one of them will be Thingol’s goodbye to this his second life. I do pity Namo but I am sure the doomsman can jail him up somewhere with a valaraukar or something” 

Elrond cringed. “Not that I disagree, Thingol has become a nightmare but that would be cruel, imagine what that poor balrog would have to go through then?!” 

Everybody snorted with laughter and the twins stared at Maedhros and seemed to be fascinated by his hair. “You are tall” 

Elured was rather straight forward. “But not as tall as great grandfather”

Elurin had to have the last word and Maedhros did grin. “You are right about that, he is taller than me” 

Nimroth did gather her senses. “Where are my manners, come inn! We don’t have much food ready but I can make some tea? Any news from the north?” 

Elrond followed her through the door, he sighed and sat down by the table. Maedhros did almost bump his head on one of the rafters. “Well, where do I start?” 

Dior sat down too, Celegorm did take a seat next to him. “You can start with the current situation, there were elves here trying to kidnap Dior and the lads” 

Elrond folded his hands. “Ah, I was afraid of something like that. There is a huge reward promised for whoever brings you back Dior. Your grandfather does view your person as a sort of private property I fear.” 

Dior nodded, his eye dark and the lines on his face started to glow slightly again. “I know, they had a poster. Is he still sending out people?” 

Elrond nodded. “Yes, but not for much longer. We have some important news. You won’t have to worry about that old grouch for much longer” 

Celegorm frowned. “Don’t tell me that somebody is planning an assassination? That is a bit over the top” 

Maedhros did shake his head. “No, nothing that serious, but a coup to put the power back into capable hands” 

Dior clenched his teeth together. “I won’t be king again, never! I have had more than enough of that bullshit.” 

Elrond petted him on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about that grandfather, we all know that you never were made to be a ruler. No, Thranduil will take over the rule of the sindar and I bet he will make a way better king than Thingol ever were” 

Celegorm did make a grimace. “Well, they are both a bit too fond of jewellery but Thranduil does at least have a good taste in wine, and he sure knows how to party” 

Maedhros did snicker. “Yes, and he isn’t some overly pious stiff necked moron convinced that his words are the only truth. “ 

Nimloth was staring with huge eyes. “Who is in on it?” 

Elrond turned to her. “The right question would be who isn’t? For that would be very few, only the most loyal spit lickers of the court. Elmo is among the ones who took the initiative” 

Dior had to grin a bit. “Doesn’t surprise me the least, he has never liked the fact that Thingol changed so much, he said it was like losing a brother completely” 

Elrond took a deep breath. “The note did tell me that something was off and I did put two and two together and came here to see if things are alright, and apparently they are?” 

Dior nodded. “Yes, I had to leave, that…my grandfather was killing my very fëa, I couldn’t continue the way things were” 

Nimroth did take his hand. “Dior has accepted himself now, everything about himself. And the great hunter has allowed his powers to awaken” 

Elrond stared at his grandfather, there was indeed something different about the ellon and it wasn’t just the lines on his face. It was in his aura, a new confidence and strength. Dior smiled. “I was afraid and ashamed most of my days, afraid of being exposed as being bisexual, afraid of my grandfather and his cruelty, afraid of practically everything but no more, never more”

Maedhros smiled widely. “That is wonderful, and I must congratulate you too. Celegorm will keep you very happy for sure” 

Celegorm did blush a bit and Nimroth did giggle. “Oh yes, he is doing wonders for us both really” 

Elrond did lean forth over the table. “Melian has gone missing and I bet that Oromë has something to do with it right?” 

Dior nodded. “As far as I have been told yes. Yes he has. She isn’t a problem anymore” 

Elrond did grin, the grin was vicious. “Good to know, Thingol is just an elf without her” 

Celegorm nodded. “Yes, and full of hot air. Somebody ought to place a pin on his chair, just to see if he will lift off.” 

Elrond tilted his head. “So, what are you to do now Dior?” 

Dior took a deep breath. “Some maia will come to train me, and I hope that I will be able to stay here, in the woods. I feel at home here. And it is a much better place for the boys than the court” 

Elrond nodded. “Yes, I see that. Is it alright if we stay for a while? I would like to learn some herbal lore from the locals and I bet that Maedhros want to catch up with his brother. There has been much going on in Tirion of late, Celegorm haven’t been home for decades after all” 

Dior shrugged. “Do stay, you are most welcome. I just fear that you both will be bored, this area is very peaceful and thank Eru for that!”

Elrond grinned. “It is perfect, I need a vacation!”

Maedhros smiled too. “Yes, both of us really. So I guess we’ll stay until the storm is over and the power in the hands of somebody capable of handling it” 

Celegorm made a grimace. “Yes, I can imagine that Thingol already are blaming our kin for Dior’s disappearance or am I wrong?” 

Maedhros sort of scoffed. “Unfortunately you are not.” 

Celegorm nodded and his eyes were rather dark. “Why am I not surprised?” 

Nimloth had made some tea and she served it, trying to be the perfect hostess. Having guests wasn’t something she had anticipated but it was nice and she looked forward to impressing the two with her cooking.   
\---------  
The atmosphere within New Doriath was tense to say the least, everybody were walking as if on eggshells and even the ones most loyal to Thingol were staying clear of him. The former ruler of Menegroth was in a terrible mood, in fact it was so horrible that some of the servants were living in fear of a fourth kinslaying. Melian was missing and that in itself was a cause for concern, she was keeping him in balance and now even those who had been most eager sucking up to him started to realize that maybe that wasn’t such a good idea after all. Who wants to waiter to an unstable and possibly quite mad king? He might demand to have your head on a platter and thus the ruler became more and more isolated. Nobody dared to deal with him, simple as that! 

Thingol didn’t know what to do, he felt incomplete without Melian by his side and he was growing more confused by the day. He was running around calling out for his daughter, then he was accusing everybody of hiding her from him and everybody with dark haired daughters did take them away from the palace, just so they wouldn’t risk anything. And then he did accuse the sons of Fëanor of having kidnapped his grandson and in the next sentence he was rambling about how he was gonna make the weakling into a real ellon and rid him of his perverted love of other males. 

Even the dogs of the palace did stay away from Thingol now and the servants didn’t dare to have anything to do with him unless they were given exact orders and were more than one person. Thingol had completely demolished his own office more than once now and the librarian had been found in a corner of the stables crying his eyes out since Thingol had ruined several old priceless tomes. All had been discussing the possibility of rebirth of a mortal soul. 

The inhabitants of the palace wasn’t that shocked at all when early one morning a whole army did descend upon the huge structure. Most of them were soldiers but there were many important leaders there and they all knew Elmo, Celeborn and Thranduil. Nobody offered any resistance, everybody just stepped aside without any words and let them through. There wasn’t that much else to do. Among the elves who came to dethrone Thingol were his old marchwardens Beleg and Mablung and they were sad but knew that it was needed, Thingol wasn’t himself anymore, something seemed to have almost possessed the elf. 

Thingol wasn’t even out of bed yet, he was wrapped up in his blankets and snoring and apprehending him went surprisingly easily. He didn’t put up much of a fight since even he was smart enough to know that these elves were armed and ready to use force. Thranduil was carrying two swords and everybody knew that he was absolutely lethal with weapons in hand, and he wouldn’t hesitate to use the blades if Thingol started to act up. 

As the king was taken away Elmo stepped forth and declared that Thingol no longer was the leader of the sindar elves, Thranduil did take the throne and even though some did look rather disappointed nobody dared to protest. Thranduil wasn’t somebody who would allow anybody to sweet talk their way to privileges and if somebody tried to sneak their daughters into his bed it was more likely to end with exile than a royal wedding. Thingol was delivered over to two of the maiar who served Irmo and Namo, the gardens of Lorien would be his destination until the valar could unravel what had gone wrong in his head. 

Within a couple of days the palace was transformed to a place of order and discipline and Thranduil taught the haughty nobles that they had a place and that in order to keep it they had to obey and forget about getting more influence unless it was well deserved. A few did leave since this didn’t sit well with them but Thranduil just thought good riddance and let somebody else get their position. The wanted posters were torn apart and some maiar did reveal that Dior was in Oromë’s woods and that he wouldn’t return to the palace at all. He had other things to do. Some thought that this was odd since he after all was the king’s grandson but most did understand, Thingol had treated the young ellon in a manner more befitting of an orc than a king and those who didn’t know became rather aghast when they were told.


	8. A new life to live

Having both Elrond and Maedhros there was a great benefit, they could look after the boys and for once Elured and Elurin did obey and they also tried to learn something new. Nimloth had tried to teach the kids how to read and write since they had forgotten most of what their first life had taught them but she had too much to do to really follow through with the teaching. Elrond on the other hand had plenty of experience and also the patience of a saint and he used small and funny anecdotes to make the two remember everything a bit better than before. Maedhros did also teach them quite a bit and Celegorm and Dior spent much time in the woods where the maiar tried to teach Dior how to use his powers in a more controlled manner. 

The first attempts were disasters but he did slowly get a grasp on what he could do and the maiar were impressed and also a bit shocked. All of them knew that Dior was half mortal on his father’s side and even now, re-embodied and counted among the eldar he ought to be a lot weaker than an ordinary maia, but he wasn’t. He was way stronger than most and probably akin to the weaker among the valar and speculations were made about how that was possible. As it was his gifts turned out to be of the transformative kind, he had an astonishing control of plants and trees and he did also sense if some living being was ill in any manner. As he trained and became more adapted to his new gifts he did also discover strange powers none of the other maiar had and they caused some confusion. Apparently he was able to be in two places at the same time, or so it seemed. 

Celegorm and he did grow very close over the days and weeks, and Celegorm felt at peace in a whole new manner. He had always been the oddball among his own kin but now, with Dior he felt at home. They were both different and Dior had bloomed and wasn’t afraid of showing affection anymore, he became more open towards Nimloth and the lads too and he would hug and kiss them all without second thought. Maedhros did train him in fighting with a sword and he became even better than before. The blind eye was still blind, unless he was using his powers, then he would see with that one too and Elrond found that to be very odd. Maybe it would change over time but nobody knew for sure. 

There came messengers to the woods and they told that Thingol was taken to the gardens of Lorien for evaluation, that made Dior feel a whole lot better and yet he wasn’t completely convinced that the problems were over just yet. He just couldn’t trust that things were okay, most of his life he had gone around in a state of constant stress and this wasn’t any different. The entire bunch of them did move into a larger hut, Elrond and Maedhros had decided to stay for a while to teach the twins a little more about both history and math and other practical things and Dior was glad they did for he wasn’t a good teacher and the things he had learned back in the days was outdated by now. And also, he hadn’t been well taught at all since he never had been regarded as intelligent enough for studies. 

Celegorm and Maedhros would also spend time together to bond and relive old memories and as summer reached its height Nerdanel and Amrod and Amras did come to visit. Amrod and Amras had both found themselves wives and were freshly wedded and to follow the tradition of marrying in slightly shocking manners they had found a set of twins. The ellith were half vanyar and half telerin, so alike it was very hard to tell them apart and it had raised more than one eyebrow when the lot made their first public appearance together. Some did believe that there was something wrong with their eyesight. 

There was a small lake not far from the larger hut they now occupied and one warm evening everybody had gathered by it to bathe and relax. Dior was relaxing on the sand with Nimloth on one side and Celegorm on the other and the twins were using Huan as a pony and were joined by a group of local elflings. There was a lot of hollering and screeching going on and some of the avarin elves had come too and thus the beach was very crowded. The avarin elves were mostly ellith and some younger elves and a couple of married Ellyn who had joined their families for the evening. 

Maedhros and Elrond were discussing the properties of certain types of mushroom when the sound of hooves could be heard. The Ellyn got to their feet immediately, grasping for their spears and the ellith ushered the elflings behind them, a habit born in the woods of Ennorath ages ago. 

A rider did appear and Celegorm did recognize him, it was one of the other followers of Oromë and he did look upset. He had been riding hard for the horse was panting and wet all over. Celegorm held the horse as the rider jumped off, he bowed to Maedhros and Elrond. “My lords, Dior, Celegorm. I come from Oromë, I have some worrying news” 

Dior frowned. “What?” 

Elrond did look nervous and Maedhros eyes were very narrow, and intense. The rider took a deep breath. “There has been some weeks since Thingol was removed from the throne and most of his supporters were kicked out of the court. Most did accept this but unfortunately, there are a few who just couldn’t cope with the loss of power.” 

Dior sort of grunted “Ah crap, why am I not surprised?” 

Celegorm felt tense, he didn’t want anything to happen which could disturb this newly found happiness. “So the situation is?” 

The ellon bowed his head. “They want to do a counter coup, and place Dior on the throne since he is perceived as weak enough to be controlled by them. And after all, he is the legal heir to the throne so they do believe that they have got the right to do it.” 

Dior suddenly looked rather menacing, the glowing lines were very visible now and his eyes were dark. “Weak they say?! I will teach them a few lessons then…” 

Celegorm did look slightly startled. “Ah, but they cannot just replace Thranduil like that? They do need Dior first right?” 

The messenger nodded eagerly. “Yes, so they have been spotted heading in this direction, about ten riders. Our guess is that they are after Dior to use him as their puppet” 

Nimloth had heard it all and she did look scared. “Dear? What are we to do?” 

Dior growled. “Give them the shock of a lifetime! Listen, go back to Oromë and tell him that they aren’t to be stopped, everybody stay clear, don’t even let them see other elves on the way here. I will be ready for them” 

Celegorm swallowed. “Love, don’t do anything stupid…” 

Dior grinned. “Worry not, I won’t even spill blood but I will show them once and for all that the son of Luthien is everything but WEAK!”

Maedhros and Elrond nodded slowly. “We will of course help you”

Dior had an infernal grin on his face. “Yes, and I bet our avarin friends too will want to show their skills, right?” 

The two warriors present did nod with zeal, having somebody invade their forest for such bad reasons gave them ideas right away, rather terrible ideas. 

The messenger got a new horse and rode off and Dior hugged Nimloth. “Don’t be afraid my dearest, it will be alright. When this is over nobody will ever bother us again, I can ensure you of that” 

She sighed and leaned her head against his chest. “Yes, I know.” 

Suddenly there was a lot of activity going on, the elflings were ushered back home, the forest filled with keen eyes and the area around the hut was being prepared. Elrond did remember some of the tricks Olorin had used back in the days and he got some help from the avarin elves recreating the more simple ones. 

The hut was prepared too and that evening they all ate outside, Nimloth had roasted a whole young boar and it was delicious. Celegorm did lean against Dior, feeling a bit wired up by it all. “So, what will you do when this is over?” 

Dior did lick some fat off his fingers, the sight made Celegorm shiver. “I intend to visit my grandfather” 

Celegorm frowned. “Really? Why?” 

Dior just smiled and licked some fat off Celegorm’s jaw, it made the silvery blonde moan. “To show him why he cannot belittle me anymore” 

\----------  
The forest was waiting and the twins and Nimloth had taken hiding in a cave with some of the local ellith to keep them company. Maedhros and Elrond were ready and so were a whole bunch of Avarin warriors, even a couple of Oromë’s maiar were curious and enraged enough to come to watch. Dior and Celegorm had prepared well, they had put on paint and very avarin looking clothing and Celegorm could tell that Dior in fact was looking forwards to this. He wanted to show the world that everybody had been wrong about him in the past and that he now was a new person, a much better person too. Celegorm just hoped that nothing would go awry but there were plenty of armed warriors ready and there was little doubt that his new mate would get his message through, one way or the other. 

The group arrived with the full moon, sneaking forth like thieves in the night and since they hadn’t encountered anyone they were clearly convinced that this would be easy. They were armed but not overly so and acted with a manner which told everybody that they were very sure of themselves and the outcome of this little mission of theirs. They all came along one path and it was leading straight towards a tall narrow cliff not far from the new hut. Dior had prepared well, he was waiting on that cliff and so were Celegorm and some others. The group consisted of ten Ellyn, all wearing those idiotic court robes nobody within the old court would have dared to show themselves without and thus they were noisy. It is hard to move silently while donning a robe which reaches your feet and is made from stiff silk and damask. 

Elrond and Maedhros did wait on each side of the path, both hidden well, and they did carry a small horn each with embers they used to ignite small pieces of firework known as “fleas” since they would appear to hop and skip along the ground as they spat out sparks. Both threw a good handful of the things out on the path and the group stopped in shock long enough for Dior to appear on top of the cliff as if out of thin air. In reality he did use a trick the avarin warriors often made use off, a sort of flexible trampoline made from vines, hidden from sight.   
The group looked up and there he suddenly was, with the moon at his back and the sindar elves did stop and stare in confusion and disbelief. They were surrounded by feral looking elves wearing naught but loincloths and body paint and arrows were pointing at them from every direction. One of the invaders got so shocked he did break wind and the sound did carry very well in the silence. In the bushes Maedhros and Elrond had a hard time avoiding some wild laughter. 

Dior didn’t look anything like the king he had been for a few short years, he had put some amulets into his long unbraided hair and he wore paint too, and most of all, he was glowing. He cocked his head, from this angle he had to look even taller than before and way more intimidating. “So, you come here, creeping through the woods like a bunch of orcs, seeking what?” 

The leader of the group was stuttering. “Ah…uh…we….we are here to….trade, yes, trade” 

Dior smirked. “Trade what? Those idiotic robes of yours? Sorry, nobody here would want those, we prefer to feel the air against our skin” 

The leader was staring at the elves surrounding him, he had no idea of what to do now. Celegorm did take his place by Dior’s side and the sight of him sent the whole group into a fit of gasping and gaping. “Oh, sorry, am I shocking you? Yes, it is me, Celegorm, son of Fëanor and yes, this is Dior son of Luthien, and in fact, we are mates!”

They were staring, blinking and the leader did look like a fish which had been pulled out of the water way too fast. “Ah…that is… impossible”

Dior bared his teeth. “Oh? Not as impossible as you returning to new Doriath with me, you see, I am a maia now, yes, like my grandmother only that I am way more powerful than her, and also, I have no interest in becoming king of that goddamn realm ever again. “

The sindar elves didn’t say a word, they were too stunned. Dior did lay an arm around Celegorm’s shoulders. “But if you would like to remain here as my courtiers you are more than welcome, it would of course imply that you adopt the avarin way of living but I bet it would suit you just fine. No ranks here, no stiff robes and no pomp nor circumstance.” 

The leader tried to plea. “My lord, you are the legal heir to the throne!”

Dior shook his head. “Nope, I was the legal heir to the throne of Menegroth, which is now several hundred feet under the surface of the eastern sea, too bad right? This new realm my insane grandfather has created is nothing for me, I belong here with my people, the avarin elves and I may never be a king again but I will be happy, with my wife and my husband”

The ten sindar elves did gasp again, all a bit pale and eyes bulging from the shock. Dior did glow a little brighter. “So I do politely suggest that you all scoot off back to the wormholes you come from, there is nothing here for you, and if you ever go anywhere near my family I can assure you that I do have permission from both Oromë and Namo himself to protect them by all means, in your case I think that will mean transforming you all into the leeches you truly are!” 

The leader was getting desperate. “This is an outrage, we are noblemen, we will not be talked to in such a manner” 

Dior leaned forth and suddenly vines and branches started to dance like snakes around the ten elves. “Oh? But here I am in charge, I am a maia of Vana now, and the woods are mine! Get thee gone, before I turn you into boar and let the hounds chase you down” 

There was a baying of hounds heard in the distance and the ten stared at each other, slightly scared. Celegorm nodded. “That is right, now would be a good time to run, those hounds of Oromë may think that those silly robes mean you are some extra interesting toys, chewing toys that is” 

The leader turned around but shook his fist at Dior. “You haven’t heard the last from us, I promise!” 

Dior chuckled, his voice was rather dark now and powerful too. “Oh but I have”

He did close his eyes for a moment and the ten Ellyn suddenly squeaked and wriggled, a weird sensation being felt below their belts. All grasped for their rear end and then they screamed and started to run like crazy. Celegorm turned to Dior, eyes wide. “What in Eru’s name did you do?” 

Dior smirked and patted him in the back. “Gave them a cute little pigtail each, well deserved I think, and they will never dare to attract any attention to themselves again, lest they reveal their little secret” 

Celegorm started to laugh and soon the woods did reverberate with the sound of laughter. The hunters of Oromë did make sure that the ten did leave the woods and all of them were so ashamed they returned to their homes and never dared to even think about court life anymore. The tails did disappear after a few years but they had learned their lesson and learned it well. 

The avarin elves had enjoyed themselves a lot by intimidating the rather stiff necked courtiers and now there was a lot of laughter and jokes flying around. Dior did watch as the locals did disappear into the woods again, he turned to his mate and kissed Celegorm gently. “And now let us see if my grandfather is up for a short visit shall we? I bet he will be thrilled to learn of my newly found happiness” 

Celegorm just chuckled but he had a feeling of slight foreboding, he had a feeling that Dior was up to no good. They went and had a bath and then Dior informed Nimloth and the others of the result before he and Celegorm got themselves a horse each and took off for the gardens of Lorien. 

They arrived after a few days and Dior had brought some things with him, Lorien did almost lose it in a laughing fit when he realized what they were about to do but he didn’t protest. He had already had more than enough of that haughty elf and this would be a nice lesson for him. Thingol was kept inside of a small palace like building in the middle of the gardens, he was well guarded by maiar and he was for some reason convinced that he was back in Doriath and were yelling and nagging and being a general pain in the back to everybody there. He didn’t understand why he wasn’t treated the way a king ought to and more so, he wanted his wife and daughter back. 

Dior walked into the pavilion like he had every right to be there and he held his back straight and his chin high. He did look royal and he did look exotic for he was wearing the traditional garments of an avarin warrior. A loincloth, knee high boots and a sort of cape. Celegorm was wearing a similar garment and he made sure to stay behind Dior as they approached the former king. Thingol did spot them and he did stare, his jaw almost hitting his chest and Dior did almost purr. “Yes grandfather, it is I, Dior. Remember me? “ 

Thingol opened and closed his mouth but not a sound could escape. “Ah…” 

Dior nodded. “Oh yes, I understand, it is a shock for sure. But I have good news, I am wedded yet again, so now I have two spouses, Nimloth and Celegorm here”

Thingol made a sort of peep, like a frightened rabbit. “Impossible…blasphemy” 

Dior shook his head and leaned over, kissed Celegorm on the mouth, very openly and with tongue. Thingol was white and red and then white again. “But you see grandfather, this isn’t about that at all! This is about the fact that you tried to make me into a thrall, by treating me like shit and thinking that I was nothing but a pawn in your games” 

Thingol did notice the lines and the glow and he realized that he perhaps had done a stupid thing by underestimating his grandson. “You are my heir, you needed to toughen up!”

Dior shook his head. “No, I needed love, and understanding and support, I got nothing of that, just hatred and scorn” 

He walked a little closer and the glow became very intense indeed. “But now it is over grandfather, you will never belittle me again” 

He made a gesture and suddenly Thingol started to shrink. He kept his proportions, he just became shorter and it didn’t stop until he was a little below average height for an avarin male. He was almost a head shorter than Dior now and he wasn’t able to say a single word, the shock was too much for him. Dior just grinned. “Goodbye grandfather, don’t worry, the realm is being well taken care off but it will never be ruled by anyone of your blood again.” 

Dior made a last gesture just to piss Thingol off a little more, he did squeeze Celegorm’s ass in a very suggestive manner. Celegorm did wriggle and pout and just for the sheer heck of it he did blow Thingol a kiss. The former king was trembling now and did look a bit like a piece of dynamite about to go off. There was little doubt that he from now on had lost much of his impact, he wasn’t that impressive anymore. 

They met Lorien on the way out, the vala was bent over, heaving for air and tears were flowing down his face. “Oh Eru, this is amazing. I have never seen anything like it, how did you get the idea? He is really truly cut down to size now!”

Dior just shrugged, “I just felt that he deserved it. He isn’t as intimidating now with only half of his body height left” 

Lorien wheezed and had to dry more tears off his face. “Oh yes, most certainly.” 

Celegorm did cock his head. “So, what is to happen to him?” 

Lorien managed to straighten himself up, of the valar he was the one with the weirdest sense of humour and it could at times take a very bizarre form. “The others have decided that he is to be sent to Ennorath like his wife, to live as a mortal for a few millennia. And since he was such a grouch and so opposed to same sex relationships I bet Manwë will make sure that he is as gay as they come” 

Dior almost cringed and Celegorm had to choke a rather disrespectful laughter. “Gee, I wonder if that will teach his fëa a thing or two” 

Lorien shrugged. “We can hope but I doubt it, it will be like trying to teach a rock how to play fetch” 

Dior laughed and Celegorm did snicker. He did notice that Dior moved differently now, he had faced up to his fears and held his ground and finally he was free from the shadow of his grandfather. That could only be good. 

They returned to the woods and spent some weeks there before they all went to Tirion to visit Celegorm’s family. The one most reluctant was Celegorm for that meant that he had to act in a civilized manner, something which to him was tough after years in the wild woodlands. They became quite a spectacle as they reached the city for some of Oromë’s maiar had fallen absolutely in love with the twins and gave them gifts, namely some tame deer and a tame boar which of course had to follow them on the journey. The deer was one thing, most were familiar with deer but the boar was a huge one with impressive tusks and Elured had decided that it needed to be made pretty for the journey so he had found some of the paint the avarin warriors used and he had tried to decorate the animal. The result was interesting, no other word could describe it and at least it made everybody clear the road ahead of them. Nobody wanted to risk anything for the boar looked as if it had come straight from a vicious fight. 

Nerdanel was waiting for them and so was the rest of the family as well, they had all been looking forward to the visit and many within the city saw this new reconciliation as a sign of better times ahead. Dior and Nimloth were impressive in nice robes and the twins did act very nicely too. Dior had promised them a pony each if they didn’t mess things up and now they were the very image of well behaved elflings. There were some vanyar elves there too, relatives of the queen and they were acting with less acceptance. The idea of a marriage consisting of three was hard to swallow and during the first feast some did gang up to exchange both gossip and negativity but they got the shock of a lifetime when Celebrimbor’s wife Narvi, who had overheard it all did storm them and enthusiastically told them about how glad she was on their behalf and how wonderful this practice was. Since females were rare among the dwarves marriages with one female and several males were rather common and she did shock them to the core by suggesting that Nimloth from now on could be seen as a very lucky elleth for sure, imagine, two handsome males to keep her satisfied. 

That didn’t sit well with the vanyar who were of the small but very pious group who saw sex as a way of procreation and naught more but Narvi already knew this and with her dwarven sense of sarcasm and humour she did turn their own beliefs against them. All were rather red faced and stuttering when she finally left them alone. Dior and Nimloth were laughing really hard and Celebrimbor did embrace his wife rather vigorously. It was good to have somebody in the family who didn’t shy away from telling things the way they were. But Dior and Nimloth and the twins were more than welcome and fully accepted and when they did return to the woods the marriage between Dior and Celegorm was official. Everybody knew about it and if it caused some raised eyebrows and questions the family didn’t care. If it was one thing the Feanorions were good at it was giving a damn about the opinions of others. 

As the knowledge of the marriage did spread the attitudes did change too, slowly at first but then it became more accepted and the last who had to give inn were of course the vanyar since their own king publicly noted that it was such a wonderful thing that one could live with one’s true love whether it was just one person or more. Some sour grimaces were certainly seen but the younger generations didn’t hesitate for long, suddenly poly amorous marriages were the rage and some vanyar elders went to Manwë to complain but were rebuked in a rather brusque manner and told that this was the will of Eru and who where they to believe that they knew better than the One?!

After some years Nimloth decided that it was time to take it to the next level, Celegorm did long for children of his own and he hadn’t really said anything but he could be seen staring at elflings playing around with longing in his eyes. Dior didn’t mind at all and thus Nimloth gave birth to a silvery haired elfling who was given the name Celegil. He was a softer and less temperamental person than his sire but his ability to communicate with the woods was unlike that of even the great hunter himself. Some years later Nimloth had a daughter and she had the same silvery hair but her skin was darker and she was a bit temperamental in nature. They named her Celeblas and they all believed that this was it and the last child Nimloth would bear but only a couple of years later Nimloth discovered that she was with child yet again and she soon realized that this was twins, again!   
The idea frightened her but she accepted it and as she had to stop working she wondered who the father was this time. When the children were born there was little doubt, one was the spitting image of Dior and the other so alike Celegorm there could be little doubt. But Nimloth had had enough now and got one of the maiar to bring her a herbal concoction who would render her sterile for the rest of her life. It had taken too much out of her and she didn’t want to risk another pregnancy. The two lads were growing up to be fine Ellyn and they were excellent hunters and were given the names Tuion and Celegion. The family did stay together and in time became an integrated part of the woodlands and the tribes there. Sometimes they did visit their kin in Tirion and sometimes their kin visited them but neither wanted to leave the woods for long and it was as it should be. Dior did belong in the freedom of the grand forests and where he was his family wanted to stay. He had found his true calling and true happiness and the shadows of the past were just crumbling memories now. And it was good that way.


End file.
